Peter Parka

England 2-0 USA

Report: England 2-0 USA

By Andrew McKenzie


John Terry put aside his Champions League troubles to help England to a routine friendly win over a disappointing USA side at Wembley.
Terry headed England in front from a pinpoint David Beckham cross shortly before the end of a poor first half.
Gareth Barry came off the bench to set up team-mate Steven Gerrard to sidefoot home the second goal.
The USA's best chance fell to Eddie Johnson but he lashed past the post on a difficult evening for the visitors.
England returned to winning ways in Fabio Capello's third game in charge of the national side, but it was another largely uninspiring and forgettable friendly.
It will take more than a win over the Americans before Terry forgets his penalty miss that cost Chelsea the Champions League final.



But the goal clearly provided a bit of welcome relief for the Chelsea skipper, who was handed the captaincy as coach Fabio Capello again rotated the armband.
Former skipper Beckham was presented with a golden cap from England's record goalscorer Sir Bobby Charlton prior to the game and followed it with a energetic 45 minutes on the right side.
Beckham was first to threaten a goal with a free-kick that whistled past the post.
The LA Galaxy midfielder offered a scoring opportunity for Gerrard to break the deadlock from a cleverly worked set-piece, but the Liverpool star's shot was blocked by Clint Dempsey.
Jermain Defoe was handed a first start for 20 months up front to provide some swift legs alongside Wayne Rooney.
The Portsmouth player offered the pace but wasted several opportunities to show he is the man with the finishing touch that England have been lacking.
With the USA mustering little in attack it was a matter of whether England could convert their ample possession into goals.




Defoe should have finished off a neat move involving Gerrard and Rooney but he sidefooted past the post in front of goal.
Just before the interval England got the breakthrough when Beckham swung in a trademark cross from the right and Terry, standing almost on the penalty spot, powered a low header past Tim Howard.
The goal awoke the England fans from their friendly slumber and England began to dominate with Owen Hargreaves and Defoe threatening to add a second before the interval.
USA could have thrown a spanner in the works a minute of the restart with their best chance of the game, but Johnson smacked just wide of the upright with an otherwise-untroubled England defence standing back.
Both sides began to make use of their considerable substitute benches and Barry, who replaced an ineffective Frank Lampard, made an instant contribution.
The Aston Villa midfielder produced a deft pass to lay on the second goal for a breaking Gerrard to run on and slot home comfortably.
With the USA looking dead and buried the game was effectively over, which was all-but-confirmed when the crowd began the Mexican waves with 20 minutes still to go.

England: James, Brown (Johnson 57), Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole (Bridge 82), Beckham (Bentley 46), Hargreaves, Lampard (Barry 57), Gerrard, Defoe (Crouch 68), Rooney (Joe Cole 78).
Subs not used: Hart, Lewis, Warnock, Woodgate, Jagielka, Wheater, Huddlestone, Downing, Young, Ashton, Walcott, Agbonlahor.
Goals: Terry 38, Gerrard 59
USA : Howard (Guzan 46), Cherundolo (Hejduk 46), Onyewu, Bocanegra, Pearce, Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Beasley (Lewis 68), Johnson (Jaqua 89), Wolff (Adu 68).
Subs not used: Califf, Edu.
Att: 71,233
Referee : Kyros Vassaras (Greece).




Story from BBC SPORT:

Was a pretty boring match in all honesty. I was surprised at the USA who were pretty poor and only once looked anything like scoring.

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teh_fuzz

the US soccer team isnt that good when it comes to the european leagues...

Pudding Time

I wanna see England play Australia.

Peter Parka

I did in a pointless friendly 5 years ago when Sven was starting to loose the plot. He played two different teams in each half! I think the Aussies ended up winning 2-1 and my missus wouldn't shut up about it!

England are playing Trinidad and Tobago at the weekend, Cool Breezes country.

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Pudding Time

I know we beat England last time we played them, so I guess that was the game.

Our guys are playing great soccer at the moment. Problem with England isn't the level of talent, as those guys are supremely talented. It's just that they can't mesh well in the national team. England did alright in the early 90's when half the national team also played together at ManU.

Peter Parka

Problem with England has been too many overpaid Bertie big bollocks who dont show the same pride playing for their country as their club and a clueless manager who thank fuck has now been sacked!
Yeah, the Aussies have been doing well lately, watched a couple of games at the walkabout in Covent Gardens during the last world cup, were cheated out by that late goal from the eventual champions, Italy.

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Pudding Time

we got COMPLETELY screwed by Italy.. those greesy bastards won the game only by dancing around and milking penalties..

skyblue

its the italian way i'm afraid.....win at all costs......at least the aussies can hold they're heads up high

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the after christmas prize fund.....jassillem26,250..skyblue25,000...mystic15 .000....vshayes26,250....wednesday40,000....wookie girl25,000....keight25,000....Natasha25,000....bad boy@thewheel20,000

COOL_BREEZE2

You really follow your football Pete. Yeah, we gonna show them some calypso flava. It's been a long awaited rematch since Peter Crouch fouled one of our guys in the World Cup (and was ignored by the ref) which cost us the game on our way to qualify into the next rounds. A very bitter moment for us as you would imagine. We were at odds ends to come to terms with how that blatant that foul was allowed. It was so obvious in the replays. I as well as the whole country cringed as we watched.

Quote:
Looks for all the world like Peter Crouch created space for his goal by grabbing Trinidadian center back Brent Sancho by the braids with his right hand and pulling him down and toward the end line to create space for his leap toward David Beckham’s (superb) cross.




Yeah we were looking forward to this rematch. Tickets have been sold out.
Pity that both sides are playing this "friendly" rematch with watered down teams. Some key players are missing from both sides so I don't know how valid this rematch would be.

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Yeah, there always after my lucky charms. What? Why does every one always laugh when I say that. They are after me lucky charms. What?

Peter Parka

As a West Ham supporter, I'm looking forward to seeing Dean Ashton making his debut up front, hope he can cap it by scoring too!

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COOL_BREEZE2

Should be interesting.


Still........Damn Peter Crouch.

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Yeah, there always after my lucky charms. What? Why does every one always laugh when I say that. They are after me lucky charms. What?

Pudding Time

cheers..

I was watching that game on a big screen in the main hall of the Australian Embassy here in Washington DC where I work. Everyone was watching that game. And you could hear the sighs and moans everytime an Italian took a dive.