World Cup - Day 2
Engerland - Engerland - Engerland
What a great day for England, not only did they grab three points, they saw their closest rivals drop two points. England lined up as expected, no Rooney and Crouch up front. It was a very hot day and an early free kick saw them take the lead with an own goal. That was all they needed, which was a good job really because they faded very badly in the second half. It wasn't the greatest England performance you will ever see, but it did the job. One question still left unanswered was the fitness of Michael Owen. He was substituted after 55 minutes and from then on it was clear that England were going to take what they had.
To be honest though, Paraguay did not pose much of a threat, they failed to make the most of their increased possession and Paul Robinson will have busier days in goal than this one. It was hard to see what Sven was thinking when he pushed Joe Cole forward rather than Gerrard, and again Michael Carrick must be wondering what he has done as Owen Hargreaves was bought on to anchor the midfield. On the positive side Terry, Ferdinand and Neville did alright at the back but there will be concerns that sides will start to target Ashley Cole. He will need to sharpen up his game as he is clearly seen as the weak link.
Sven could probably not believe his luck as he settled down to watch his country take on the minnows of Trinidad and Tobago. In his wildest dreams he would not have expected this game to finish 0-0. Contrary to the result Sweden were not that bad. They played good one touch football and were let down badly by their finishing. Trinidad played well above themselves but you could see they were there for the taking. This places the group firmly in Englands hands and if they can get a good result against Trinidad then they will already have qualified. Sweden however have a very tricky game against a Paraguay side who know they will have to win, this will be one to watch.
Argentina also laid down the basis of their campaign with a very efficient 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast. They will be happy with this as they would have seen them as a tricky tie. It was also good news for Crespo as he opened his account. They definitely look like a team that means business and they will be hoping that Holland will be sharing the points with Serbia today. If things go the way they are they will be meeting England in the quarter finals, and Argentina will be the more confident of the two teams at the moment. The Ivory Coast will also be hoping for a draw today to make sure of having a fighting chance of qualifying for the second round. But for now I will revel in the glory of England's three points and won't start worrying until Thursday
What a great day for England, not only did they grab three points, they saw their closest rivals drop two points. England lined up as expected, no Rooney and Crouch up front. It was a very hot day and an early free kick saw them take the lead with an own goal. That was all they needed, which was a good job really because they faded very badly in the second half. It wasn't the greatest England performance you will ever see, but it did the job. One question still left unanswered was the fitness of Michael Owen. He was substituted after 55 minutes and from then on it was clear that England were going to take what they had.
To be honest though, Paraguay did not pose much of a threat, they failed to make the most of their increased possession and Paul Robinson will have busier days in goal than this one. It was hard to see what Sven was thinking when he pushed Joe Cole forward rather than Gerrard, and again Michael Carrick must be wondering what he has done as Owen Hargreaves was bought on to anchor the midfield. On the positive side Terry, Ferdinand and Neville did alright at the back but there will be concerns that sides will start to target Ashley Cole. He will need to sharpen up his game as he is clearly seen as the weak link.
Sven could probably not believe his luck as he settled down to watch his country take on the minnows of Trinidad and Tobago. In his wildest dreams he would not have expected this game to finish 0-0. Contrary to the result Sweden were not that bad. They played good one touch football and were let down badly by their finishing. Trinidad played well above themselves but you could see they were there for the taking. This places the group firmly in Englands hands and if they can get a good result against Trinidad then they will already have qualified. Sweden however have a very tricky game against a Paraguay side who know they will have to win, this will be one to watch.
Argentina also laid down the basis of their campaign with a very efficient 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast. They will be happy with this as they would have seen them as a tricky tie. It was also good news for Crespo as he opened his account. They definitely look like a team that means business and they will be hoping that Holland will be sharing the points with Serbia today. If things go the way they are they will be meeting England in the quarter finals, and Argentina will be the more confident of the two teams at the moment. The Ivory Coast will also be hoping for a draw today to make sure of having a fighting chance of qualifying for the second round. But for now I will revel in the glory of England's three points and won't start worrying until Thursday
posted by Sports Potato at 2:04 PM
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