Although goalscorers Adam Armstrong and Patrick Roberts may take the plaudits for their strikes, England Under-18s head coach Neil Dewsnip hailed the performance of his back five against Russia.
The Young Lions produced a patient display to see off their hosts in Moscow and run out 2-0 winners on Monday evening.
However, goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and the defence of Kyle Walker-Peters, Dael Fry, Tosin Adarabioyo and Callum Connolly produced a solid display that left their manager delighted.
Russia 0-2 England
International U18 Match
Monday 8 June 2015
Arena Khimki, Moscow
"The back five were absolutely outstanding," Dewsnip told TheFA.com.
"I thought Freddie contributed with a super save at the end. If that had gone in then the last few minutes would have been real nervous.
"The two centre-backs, Dael and Tosin, that is as good as I've seen them play and I'm very impressed. And then Kyle and Callum just got better and better at this level. Those five deserve huge credit."
The defence had to remain strong as Russia proved a tough nut to crack throughout the opening period, but Dewsnip was pleased with the maturity of his side in remaining patient.
England Under-18s prior to kick off in Moscow
"They had to be patient as Russia, to their credit, set up really, really well and their discipline was impressive. They made it really difficult to get through them, and although we tried, it wasn't easy.
"And then when we tried it and lost possession they countered very quickly, so that was a threat. But at half time we reinforced the patient message and thankfully we got there in the end."
“It's an honour to take any England team really, but particularly this group”
Neil Dewsnip England U18s head coach
The two sides face off again on Wednesday in the second of their double-header, and Dewsnip has challenged those that did not feature on Monday to maintain the high standard and end the campaign with another victory.
"There are seven boys who didn't start today and they will be in the team on Wednesday.
WNow it's their turn to impress and hopefully they will want to keep the momentum going," he added.
"And on a personal level, it's been a real privilege to work with this group. It's an honour to take any England team really, but particularly this group.
"They set particularly high standards last year in winning the Euros, and they were determined not to let that drop.
"As you can see from today, they have maintained that and possibly even improved."
