Soccer Aid 2019 has come and gone! Giving us an unforgettable game packed with goals, drama, celebs and some of the most iconic names in football, Soccer Aid raised huge amounts of money for Unicef to make a difference for children in Africa.
With the game ending at 2-2, the World XI went on to claim victory on penalties! But how did the game unfold? Who made an impact? And did England really throw away a 2-0 lead?
Here’s a rundown of everything you missed during Soccer Aid 2019!
The Match
With a packed-out Stamford Bridge and both the England XI and World XI ready to go, the match was officially started by Hollywood-legend, Tom Hanks.
After a cagey start to the game, England began to take control. With Danny Jones causing problems down the left wing, the McFly frontman managed to produce the perfect ball for Mark Wright in the box. While Mark’s shot on goal was saved, Jeremy Lynch of the F2 Freestylers was ready to pounce on the rebound, blasting the ball into the roof of the net. 1-0.
Just after the half-hour mark, England doubled their lead! Getting a throw-in high up the pitch, there was some great team play that lead to the goal. Mark Wright’s throw was tipped on by ex-England midfielder Katie Chapman to John Terry, who then found Jeremy Lynch (again) in box. Taking it on the turn and striking the ball first time, Lynch drove it low into the right corner of the World XI goal. 2-0.
With England seemingly in control, disaster struck just before half-time. A ball deep from the World XI half saw former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher try to come forward and deal with the danger…only for the ball to bounce straight over him and into the path of Usain Bolt. Quick and clinical, Bolt held off the recovering Carragher before putting the ball past David Seaman. 2-1.
After a back-and-forth second-half and victory looming for England, Love Island’s Kem Cetinay took the game into his hands. With the ball played through to Kem on the right wing, he used his first touch to cut inside past John Terry, and his second to put the ball into the top left corner of the goal ? 2-2.
Penalties were needed to find a winner! Would the English penalty curse rear its head again? Yes. With both England and the World XI scoring their opening spot-kicks, things took a turn when Joe Wicks, Mark Wright and Lee Mack all missed consecutive penalties for England. Giving the Soccer Aid 2019 title to the World XI!
JD Takeover!
With the stars and celebs shining on the pitch, JD put together an all-star crew to come and watch the game while takin’ over the @jdofficial, @jdwomen and @jdnowofficial insta-stories to give you all an exclusive look!
With Love Island’s Josh Denzel (@joshdenzel) and singer-songwriter Sinead Harnett (@sineadharnett) leading the line – getting the gangs’ opinions and thoughts throughout the game while guiding us through the day at Stamford bridge, we also saw Will Hatton (@shred_kelly), Kyle Walker (@kylewalker115), Amy Louise Clement (@amylouiseclement) and Radzi Chinyanganya (@iamradzi) showing their support.
Radzi took his support to the next level, getting real into the game reppin’ the World XI shirt!
JD Ad
During the break you might have caught the latest trainer ad from JD! Bringin’ the latest heat from top brands, these picks guarantee to take your sneaker rotation to the next level.
Missed it? Well then make sure you check it out right here…
All For Soccer Aid
While not a professional football match, the annual Soccer Aid game brings some fun to the sport! With the money raised each year, the funds are put towards helping to maintain fun and play for kids in Sierra Leone and Zambia.
Unicef is working to provide essential support, vaccinations and fun experiences for more than 80,000 children in Africa.
With the UK government matching every pound raised, Soccer Aid And Unicef are making a difference. Head over to the Soccer Aid website where you can continue to donate and show your support for fun!
With massive amounts of money raised (and still being raised), Soccer Aid comes to an end for another year. Remember this year’s epic game and show your support by coppin’ a Soccer Aid shirt
The World XI took to the title this year, but England will be ready for the rematch, and it’ll all be covered here @ JD!
