Anthony Gordon has warned England must not make their victory over Mexico their World Cup final and instead focus on winning the trophy. Gordon played a key role in England's historic win in Mexico City, setting up a quarter-final clash with Norway in Miami on Saturday night.
Gordon: Mexico win not the final
Gordon stressed the need to move on from the emotional high of beating Mexico at the Estadio Azteca. “It was an amazing memory, some great moments made, but in reality that's not what we came here for, just to win that game. I don't want it to feel like that was the final. It was an emotional high but we kind of need to just get rid of it now and focus on what's next,” he said.
England's win in Mexico City is considered one of their greatest on foreign soil, but Gordon insists the team must concentrate on the process. “We need to focus on the way we play and how we play. How we train. Ultimately, that has got us where we are. The minute we start looking at the outcome, the trophy, the medals. All the superficial stuff is when we will fall off track. We need to really focus on the process,” he added.
Norway a threat
Gordon also warned that Norway, who beat Brazil in the round of 16, are a massive threat. “To be honest, it was not a big shock for me. We were speaking among the squad and it was 50-50 in terms of who would win. Probably Brazil because of the name, of course, you don't expect them to go out but if you look at the players, Norway can change a game really quickly,” he said.
He noted that several upsets have occurred in the tournament, making Norway's victory unsurprising. “I think they are a massive threat and we need to be really, really focused. That is why I want to try and kill this Mexico game. It has been so emotional. Getting criticised can drain you but getting praise can drain you the same way so we really need to move on from that,” Gordon concluded.
