England 1 Germany 4

Germany completely dominated the first 35 minutes of the first-half: they used the ball neatly and played around England from the outset of the game. When England were in possession they usually tried to force the game with fruitless long balls. Germany showed much more flexibility  in attack, with Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller often finding space in advanced positions. Ozil had a good chance after five minutes when he was played in behind the England defence, but David James saved well. However, Germany’s first goal did not require any imaginative interplay: on 20 minutes, Miroslav Klose latched onto a punted goal-kick and held off Matthew Upson’s challenge before placing the ball home. Klose could have scored again 10 minutes later after he latched onto Muller’s threaded through-ball, but James made another good save. It wasn’t long though until the Germans doubled their lead. Muller had space to run at the England defence and played a neat ball to Podolski – the latter took a poor first touch but was still able to find the net from a tight angle.

Just as it appeared that England might be embarrassed by Germany they managed to reduce the deficit. A short-corner made its way to Gerrard who lifted a nice cross for Upson to head home. 2-1 would have been a reasonable score for England to take into the break, but it could have been even better. James Milner intercepted a misplaced German clearance near the halfway line and played the ball forward to Defoe who was tackled on the edge of the box – Lampard ran onto the loose ball and drove it into the goal via the underside of the bar. But crucially, the officials did not notice that the ball had landed over the line before bouncing clear of the goal.

The second-half initially had more balance. Lampard struck a thunderous free-kick against the bar from about 30 yards. And around the hour mark both sides had chances. John Terry was turned by Muller on the edge of the box, but Ashley Cole deflected the winger’s shot wide. At the other end, Rooney was starting to find some space and he was involved in a couple of decent moves but the most promising of these culminated in a blocked shot from Milner. But it was the Germans that made the breakthrough: following a thwarted Lampard free-kick Germany counterattacked and Bastian Schweinsteiger played in Muller who fired home. The lead was further extended following another counterattack: Ozil scorched clear of Barry and crossed for an unmarked Muller who took an easy chance to double his tally. This essentially finished the game off, although Gerrard could have pulled a goal back after he made space for himself in the box, but his shot was repelled by a diving Manuel Neuer save.

When the score-line was 2-1 England did nearly level on two occasions, but Germany deserved to win this game. They showed much more imagination in attack and exposed England’s defensive and organizational frailties.

7 David James: Kept England in the game in the first-half. He couldn’t have done much better with the German goals.

6 Frank Lampard: Worked hard, used the ball well – and he almost levelled the score twice. But the England defence did seem to be lacking the carapace of a secure central-midfield.

5 Wayne Rooney: Started to find some space in the second-half and he was involved in a couple of reasonable moves. But his overall contribution was insubstantial.
5 Gareth Barry: Tidy when in possession, but there was a surfeit of space in front of the back-four. He was also outpaced easily prior to the last goal.
5 Steven Gerrard: His poorest showing of World Cup 2010; looked like he was trying too hard.
5 James Milner: One good cross, but was otherwise a marginal presence.
5 Jermain Defoe: Had a pretty thankless task leading the line: his involvement was only sporadic.
5 Ashley Cole: Had a tricky time with both Ozil and Muller using his flank, he still showed more spirit than his fellow defenders.

4 John Terry: The England defence was in disarray in the first-half.
4 Matthew Upson: Shrugged off by Klose for the first-goal and the centre of defence was bisected too often. Nicely taken goal though!
4 Glen Johnson: Showed very little in attack, and appeared off the pace at times at the back.

England 1 Slovenia 0

England looked determined to put the memory of the Algeria fixture behind them, but their early efforts looked slightly nervous – a couple of rash challenges were made and a few errors were apparent. Fabio Capello set the team up under 4-4-2 again but with Jermain Defoe replacing Emile Heskey in attack. Steven Gerrard started on the left and, whilst he had the freedom to roam, he retained a more defined position on the flank than against Algeria.

After 15 minutes England started to obtain a hold on the game. Glen Johnson cut inside from the right and his tricky shot was saved by Handanovic. Slovenia did fashion a chance on the break but John Terry blocked Ljubijankic’s effort. However, it was England that made the breakthrough: James Milner put in an excellent cross from the right which was fired home from six yards by Jermain Defoe. A number of chances were created over the remainder of the half, but England could not extend their lead. Milner continued to threaten with his crosses – on one occasion the keeper was forced to push the ball clear, but Lampard could not set himself for the rebound and he shot high and wide. Defoe also had another good strike from outside the box – Handanovic’s parry fell to Gerrard who linked well with Rooney, but Gerrard’s placed effort was thwarted by Handanovic’s diving save.

The lead could have been extended with two minutes of the restart, but Defoe just failed to flick the ball into the net following Lampard’s header into the box. Defoe did find the net after some good link-up play between Ashley Cole, Lampard and Rooney but the goal was rightly disallowed for offside.  Rooney’s scuffed shot was also tipped onto the post, following a ball out of defence from John Terry. England continued to control the half, but did not create any further clear chances. And although they dominated there were a few scares. Barry lost the ball in an advanced position, which allowed Slovenia to move up-field: in a fraught exchange Slovenia had three chances but Terry and Johnson made good blocks before the final effort went wide. There was also a nervous moment as full-time approached, but Upson made a great challenge to thwart Dedic. England held on to attain a place in the round of 16.

This was a spirited showing from England with all of the players putting in respectable performances. Milner was particularly eye-catching on the right and he showed that a poised and pragmatic wide player can have more impact than a coiled spring running down blind alleys. Defoe bagged the winner for England but his involvement was otherwise slight and he spent a period of the first-half chasing balls bouncing over his head. The centre-forward spot will receive ongoing scrutiny as England approach the knock-out stage.

8 James Milner: Some excellent crosses, good defensive work and an overall performance underpinned by élan and pragmatism.

7 Matthew Upson: Sure-footed, and made a crucial tackle as the game approached full-time.
7 John Terry: A solid performance with some excellent tackles and blocks.
7 Steven Gerrard: An energetic showing on the left, linking up well with Ashley Cole and Rooney.
7 David James: Dealt with some tricky situations convincingly.
7 Ashley Cole: Sound defensively, and visible in attack in the second-half.

6 Gareth Barry: His overall performance was secure enough, but he made a couple of notable errors. With two games under his belt now, he should improve.
6 Frank Lampard: Not quite up to the level of his form over the qualifiers, but he used the ball well enough.
6 Glen Johnson: Settled after a slightly unsure start, he was pretty assured in defence and attack.
6 Wayne Rooney: Looked brighter than against Algeria, but this was expressed through tidy flourishes rather than sustained attacking threat.
6 Jermain Defoe: Fulfilled his striker’s role in scoring the winner, and also fired another good shot away. But otherwise he was fairly marginal. 

England 0 Algeria 0

England put in a very listless performance against Algeria. They started strongly enough and within five minutes Steven Gerrard found himself in the box, but he made the wrong decision in eschewing a strike at goal. This lack of confidence exemplified England’s performance – they failed to build upon their reasonable start and began to look edgy and laboured. They were arranged under a 4-4-2 formation, but Gerrard’s presence on the left was less than nominal as he took up a defined central-midfield position. In response, Algeria played a 3-4-2-1 formation and pressed England well, and Les Fennecs were on top for a significant period of the first-half, putting in several dangerous crosses.

England did respond although it was far from explosive stuff: the advanced players linked up well on a few occasions but were mostly limited to long-range efforts. However, a good chance fell to Frank Lampard following an Aaron Lennon cross, but Lampard didn’t connect emphatically with his left foot and M’Bolhi saved. No individual player performed particularly badly in the first period, but as a collective effort it was nervous, stilted and ponderous.

Fabio Capello has usually intervened when England have failed to fire in the past, but it was not possible to discern any meaningful input from the coach on this occasion. The second-half continued in much the same manner, with England players failing to connect with each other consistently. Nothing really went right for them – poor touches and misplaced passes were plentiful and indicated the players’ uneasiness. A couple of attacking moves were contrived but there was no end product. Gerrard was played into the box, but again he looked for a pass when a shot was on. With 15 minutes to go, Lampard and Gerrard linked up outside the box but substitute Jermain Defoe could not latch onto the through-ball. But these were merely fleeting glimpses, and an England breakthrough felt painfully distant.

England will need to beat Slovenia on Wednesday to ignite their tournament. This was a remarkably flat performance, and a confidence boosting victory is much needed. If the form displayed in this game continues, then World Cup 2010 will be over quite soon for Capello’s boys! [Player ratings below.]

6 Jamie Carragher: A solid display, marred by a yellow card which puts him out of the Slovenia game.
6 Ashley Cole: On his own on the left, he was defensively sound without showing much in attack.
6 Gareth Barry: Although he didn’t seize hold of midfield, he was fairly assured in possession upon his return to the side.
6 David James: The little he had to do, he did well enough. Took one tricky cross well.

5 John Terry: Like Carragher, he was solid enough but one back-pass was badly underhit.
5 Glen Johnson: A couple of errors and not much presence supporting attacks.
5 Frank Lampard: Tidy in possession in the first-half, he didn’t impose himself sufficiently overall.
5 Steven Gerrard: Made a couple of poor decisions in advanced positions, but he still linked up well with teammates on occasions.
5 Aaron Lennon: Apart from a couple of nice crosses, he made little impression on his flank.

4 Emile Heskey: Worked hard but he never really got hold of the ball; mishit one cross badly and crossed on another occasion when he should have shot.
4 Wayne Rooney: His touch was poor and his involvement was slight – a worrying display from England’s talisman.

England 1 USA 1

An early goal kick-started England’s World Cup 2010, but it failed to generate substantial momentum. Before five minutes of the game had elapsed, Emile Heskey received the ball on the edge of the box – he played in Steven Gerrard who slotted deftly past Tim Howard. The half continued to be an open affair with both sides constructing some good forward moves without creating many clear chances. 

England played 4-4-2, but Rooney dropped deep in search of the ball and to link with teammates. It was a satisfying performance from England in the first period and they were the better side without completely dominating. Heskey had a particularly good half, winning a substantial amount in the air. Lampard and Gerrard were assured in the centre of midfield, with the latter’s contribution incorporating both incisive movement in attacking areas and sound defensive play. The defence was generally sound with Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson assertive on the flanks – Johnson made one eye-catching run which took him to the edge of USA’s18-yard box. The only significant US goalscoring opportunity arose from a Landon Donovan cross, from which Jozy Altidore failed to make a decent connection. But shortly before half-time, disaster struck: Gerrard failed to repel Clint Dempsey, but the US midfielder’s shot was tame and should have been dealt with easily by Robert Green. Half-time arrived with the score at one apiece.

England’s second-half also started brightly with Aaron Lennon playing Heskey through for a run at goal – but unfortunately goal-scoring isn’t in Heskey’s repertoire and he shot straight at Howard. England continued to be the better side but the win always felt slightly out of reach. Another good chance did fall to Shaun Wright-Phillips after he met Rooney’s pass in the area, but again the shot was straight at Howard. Otherwise, England’s best efforts were decent long-range strikes from Lampard and Rooney. The US did have the opportunity to take the lead when Jamie Carragher was unable to rein in a strong Altidore run, but the US forward’s shot was tipped onto the near post by Green. 

England were the better side and should have won this game - it was only a Robert Green howler which gifted the US an equalizer. The team generally performed well with good performances throughout the side. For all the discussion about central-midfield, Lampard and Gerrard were a resilient and influential combination. In fact it was the players at wide-midfield which disappointed slightly, with Wright-Phillips and Lennon failing to make consistent impact. There would also be concerns if Ledley King is injured: Carragher joined John Terry for the second-half and this pairing could surely be exposed by a pacy front-line.

Three points would obviously have been hugely helpful, but England did enough to suggest that they could win World Cup 2010! [Selected ratings below.]

7 Emile Heskey: A redoubtable performance as target man which included an assist for the goal. Shame about the finishing!
7 Steven Gerrard: Not quite foot perfect, but an influential presence putting in notable defensive and attacking work.
7 Glen Johnson: Had a good game defensively and always looked threatening in advanced positions.
7 Ledley King: Appeared untroubled by the US forward line. He will hopefully be fit for the next fixture.
7 Frank Lampard: Pragmatic and assured, his distribution was good.
7 Wayne Rooney:  Involved in several significant attacks, but did not quite hit top gear.

6 Ashley Cole: Handled Donovan well, but less visible in attack than Johnson.
6 John Terry: A solid performance, but given the slip on one occasion by Robbie Findley in the second-half.
6 Shaun Wright-Phillips: Looked bright upon his introduction, but made few inroads down his flank.
6 Aaron Lennon: Threatened the US defence at times, but his involvement was sporadic. 

5 Jamie Carragher: The manner in which Altidore evaded him to run at goal was worrying - and could have led to a US winner.

4 Robert Green: One good save – but also one shocking error.

England 2 Japan 1

First-half

Fabio Capello fielded a slightly surprising starting XI against Japan with Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon on the right and left flank respectively, with Darren Bent paired with Wayne Rooney in attack. Japan obtained a goal advantage after six minutes following a well-worked corner: the ball was played to the near post by Endo, and Tulio Tanaka met it ahead of Glen Johnson to drill home. England performed adequately for the rest of the half without shining. Japan were tidy in possession but created little of note from open play, although Okazaki did outmuscle Rio Ferdinand on the edge of the box to create an opportunity. England’s best chance fell to Aaron Lennon following a nice through-ball from Rooney, but (on his less favoured left-foot) Lennon shot tamely at the keeper.

England adopted a different approach in the second-half with Capello making five substitutions. A 4-2-3-1 approach was now deployed with Joe Cole behind Rooney, Wright-Phillips on the left, Lennon on the right, and Steven Gerrard joining Frank Lampard in central midfield. Some assertive play from Wright-Phillips led to England winning a free-kick just outside the box. Lampard’s subsequent shot was handled by the Japanese defence. But from the penalty spot, Lampard scuffed his effort a little and it was saved by Kawashima. An equalizer was eventually scored, when Joe Cole made a sprightly run down the right – his good cross was turned in by Japanese defender Tulio Tanaka.

The approach was changed again with 15 minutes to go with the introduction of Emile Heskey for Aaron Lennon, which pushed Joe Cole out to the flank. England then found a winner, with an Ashley Cole cross finding the net via defender Nakazawa.

Second-half

The victory helps England to enter World Cup 2010 in high spirits. Following an excellent qualification campaign they have won their three friendlies this year. This wasn’t a particularly spirited performance and it took two own-goals to obtain the victory. But there were enough sparks of imagination to suggest that the team have not regressed. The 4-2-3-1 worked reasonably well for 30 minutes in the second period, but I think Rooney will have a strike partner in South Africa. Whilst Lampard and Gerrard have been used in tandem in central midfield before, this is the first time they have been used together behind another midfielder. They both performed well enough, but Gerrard’s best work was when he found himself in advanced positions, and in more meaningful fixtures his freedom could be curtailed if used in similar fashion again. If Barry is back, or Tom Huddlestone is trusted by Capello, then Gerrard should start on the left for England against USA. [Selected player ratings below.]

6 Steven Gerrard: Broke forward assertively into some dangerous positions and used the ball well.
6 Frank Lampard: England’s most accomplished player in the first-period; his powerful forty yard free-kick summed up his confident approach.
6 Joe Cole: Looked bright and offers England an extra dimension; his good run and cross led to the equalizer.
6 Wayne Rooney: Some good link-up play and one excellent curling shot showed that he should be on form for South Africa.
6 Tom Huddlestone: A couple of ponderous moments and some misplaced passes, but there were also some good tackles and he generally moved the ball well.
6 Joe Hart: Cut a confident figure and made some good saves.

5 John Terry: A couple of nervy moments early in the game, but otherwise secure.
5 Rio Ferdinand: Outmuscled on one occasion, but like Terry he seemed generally untroubled.
5 Ashley Cole: Out of position for a cross which fell to Morimoto – but his cross led to the winner.
5 Aaron Lennon: Made little impression in the first-half; he improved a little when moved to the right in the second period.
5 Shaun Wright-Phillips: Some assertive involvement on a couple of occasions meant that he was possibly England’s best winger on the day.
5 Glen Johnson: Given the slip for the goal, but otherwise OK.
5 Jamie Carragher: A secure alternative to Johnson.

4 Theo Walcott: Heavily marked by Japanse defenders, he made little impression.
4 Darren Bent: Failed to make the required impression. 

England 3 Mexico 1

England were comprehensively outplayed by Mexico in the first period, yet somehow the Three Lions led 2-1 at half-time. Mexico played an assertive 4-3-3 formation, pressing England high up the pitch. James Milner and Michael Carrick were overrun in central-midfield, whilst full-backs Leighton Baines and Glen Johnson were prevented from advancing. Peter Crouch and Wayne Rooney were accordingly isolated in attack. As England were unable to operate with any collective fluidity, they were reliant on isolated examples of individual attacking play. Theo Walcott showed some good bursts of pace on his flank, but poor decision-making meant that he failed to link up with his teammates. Although Mexico dominated the first 15 minutes, England were gifted a corner which led to their first goal. Steven Gerrard launched a cross to the far post which was nodded back across goal by Crouch, and Ledley King headed home from six yards.

Mexico continued to dominate after the goal. Robert Green made a great save from Vela, after the Arsenal player was allowed a clear run at goal following some poor defending. Salcido then hit the post with a curling shot. Gerrard tucked inside increasingly in the endeavour to assist Milner and Carrick, but England still struggled to retain any possession. However, at about the half-hour mark they did manage to string some passes together in an advanced position, which yielded a further corner. Rooney’s header from Gerrard’s cross was tipped onto the bar by Perez – Crouch knocked in the rebound with his arm. Mexico did score a deserved goal in added time. Baines failed to clear a Marquez header, and Franco tapped in from close range.

A two-goal advantage was rapidly restored early in the second-half courtesy of a Glen Johnson wonder goal! He made an assertive run infield and curled an impressive shot past Perez. Capello tweaked the approach following the break with England playing a more symmetrical 4-4-2. Jermain Defoe joined Rooney in attack, whilst Gerrard took up a central-midfield slot, with Milner moving out to the left. England measured up to the visitors much more satisfactorily in the second period and Mexico’s dominance was eroded. The tradition of Capello making purposeful in-game interventions was thus sustained. Few clear chances were created, but Gerrard and Aaron Lennon were both fouled when progressing into clear goalscoring positions.

The victory may reinforce England’s confidence, but Mexico’s dominance in the first-half was worrying. A Milner/Carrick central-midfield axis was insufficiently robust in this fixture – although Gareth Barry (if fit) and Frank Lampard should return to the team for South Africa. The defence also looked decidedly shaky at times. Whilst this was only a friendly, on this form, England won’t win the World Cup! [Selected ratings feature below.]

7 Robert Green: Some excellent saves. England’s no.1!

6 Steven Gerrard: Added some much needed presence to central-midfield in the second-half.
6 Wayne Rooney: Excellent turn in first-half to run clear of Osorio, he also linked up tidily with fellow attackers without consistently asserting himself.
6 Glen Johnson: Cracking goal, but otherwise not as visible in attack as usual. The soundest member of a not particularly sound defence in the first period!
6 Joe Hart: Not tested as much as Green, but looked confident enough.
6 Jermain Defoe: Looked bright and was involved in a couple of neat moves.

5 Theo Walcott: Bursts of pace unsettled the Mexican defence, but no end product.
5 James Milner: Overrun in tandem with Carrick, but kept battling and performed well enough when moved wide.
5 Peter Crouch: Assist and (dubious) goal, but otherwise a fairly marginal presence.
5 Ledley King: Given the slip by Franco early on and central-defence was highly porous.

4 Rio Ferdinand: Appeared to be the most culpable of England’s defenders during first-half disarray.
4 Michael Carrick: Failed to impose himself and some distribution was wayward.
4 Leighton Baines: A few errors and beaten by the winger much too easily on one occasion.