Spain’s World Cup-winning stars are ‘built different’ and cannot be copied, says England’s Gordon

BURTON-ON-TRENT, England (AP) — England would be making a mistake by trying to replicate Spain’s successful style of play in a bid to win major tournaments, winger Anthony Gordon said ahead of Saturday’s match between the European giants.

Gordon is well-placed to discuss the qualities of Spain’s World Cup-winning players, given he now trains daily with many of them — like Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Pedri and more — following his offseason move to La Liga champion Barcelona.

“They’re definitely built different,” Gordon said. “So I’m not sure we can ever get that.”

Long-held doubts over England’s ability to end the men’s team’s long wait to win a European Championship or World Cup returned over the summer when England squandered a lead — earned by a goal from Gordon — by conceding two late goals to lose 2-1 to Argentina in the World Cup semifinals.

Speaking at England’s training base this week, Gordon said he might never get over the defeat that has prompted questions over whether England’s players have the quality to control these high-pressure games like the Spanish can. That’s because England became ultra-defensive after taking the lead — Gordon was replaced by a defender, Ezri Konsa, in a telling substitution by coach Thomas Tuchel — and allowed Argentina to seize the initiative in the final half-hour.

So, Gordon was asked, couldn’t England just be more like Spain?

“I think culturally, it’s not just that tournament or that game where we couldn’t control a game,” he said, referring to the Argentina loss. “England, as a nation, we don’t have that strength like the Spanish, where we control games like they do. It’s not in us.

“It’s not in the English DNA,” Gordon added, “and it’s probably something I’ve only realized to that extent from playing in Spain now. Because I think we, as English players, are educated the same way as the Spanish players. We know how to keep possession but it’s the decision-making of certain players in Spain, which it’s just not a natural thing. I even look at some of the decisions they take on the ball sometimes and think, ‘I’m not sure how you’ve seen that.’”

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Gordon believes England might have to pursue its own course, rather than trying to imitate Spain.

“We can definitely get better,” he said, “or maybe go the other way and really play to our strengths, which is to play physical, play direct football, and on the counter-attack.”

Spain’s trip to play England at Wembley Stadium is its first match as world champion and marks the start of the teams’ Nations League campaign.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here