World Cup 2010

[ShadowDancer]

Lets get the negatives out of the way, SWP? Ran into trouble if he remembered not to run into a player. Yes, hes skillful, but is no way controlled enough to play international football long term.

The biggest problem was, USA stiffled us, and when we kept possesion, the US let us as it was in are own half and they were happy to sit off.

Rooney was a bit off, yes. He still nearly created something out of nothing.

Johnson was great yet again, I don't get why people don't have full confidence in him, he is an outstanding player, club and country, gets forward, covers and isn't afraid to run at defenders a bit when he gets forward.

Lennon, I think he'll come better over there, not 100% positive in thinking, but man, he could be scary when he looks to go forward with his pace more often than not.

Gerrard, apart from a stray pass, looked really good, great tackles, loads of movement, and if you think him and Lampard are so similar, makes me wonder why Lampard isn't half the player Gerrard is. Not just the goal, he looked like a true true England International.

Heskey was great, big plus. Don't need to highlight, he was outstanding. Shame he didn't score (Hasn't scored since Feb I think they highlighted) It was a decent strike but too direct and Howard too good for that.

My biggest Concern right now is, SWP having a starting position, we need to keep a bit more possesion. He will give the ball away too much for his moments of brilliance.

USA Did stiffle us, and we couldn't dictate the game. Just, after taking 30 minutes after the goal we start to step it up and look like we were going to dictate, Green makes a howler.

We may of had much better chances, perhaps looked better, but USA were in this for the full 90minutes. Bit more creativity now needed, better finishing too.

[rmoxon]

I dont understand the praise for Hesky, yes as usual he held up the ball but generaly nothing came of it. He set up the goal for Gerrard but its was the run that made the goal, not the ball into him, anyone could have made that pass, my grandmother could have.

I want to see defoe in the next game as he is a striker who can actualy score goals, thats all really.

[speedlolita]

Heskey had the perfect setup about 50 minutes into the game. But what did he do, hit it low and right into the middle of the goal - right at the goalkeeper.

I've no idea why he's still playing football. Awful player, has been for years.

The main thing that stood out though, is as a team we're bloody awful. It was painful to watch.

[Jebus]

On reflection I felt very let down by our wingers, Johnson got forward and actually took a man on (and beat them most of the time) more than Lennon, who I was very disappointed with. I think Wright-Phillips is currently a better footballer than Lennon, let us not forget he was played on the wrong wing, whilst Lennon got his preferred right side. I'd prefer someone else at right back and Johnson at right wing, he's the best attacking right sided player we have.

Heskey does everything right if he was an attacking midfielder, but he just doesn't score, even when it's easy to do so. It's a real shame we are so dependant on him because if Rooney had been paired with a striker who actually scores, we'd have won last night. There were two very disctinct moments where I found myself thinking "Defoe or Bent score in that position, they definitely score".

I thought Gerrard started well and tailed off, and Lampard started anonymously and got better. Rooney was his usual frustrated self, a few nice touches but generally dropping too deep as usual.

Carragher should have been sent off for a second yellow, if the ref could see what camera's could see he's gone. Once again we take unfit players to a world cup (James/King) and we will pay the price.

The bottom line though is that but for a horrendous howler by Green (I don't think the save later on was that good, watch it again, it's hit near enough right at him and it almost slips off his right glove, just like the goal, onto the post/bar) we would be 3 points and sitting pretty.

Two final thoughts of note, firstly, at times I thought David Beckham looked like he wanted to be on the field more than some of the players playing.

Secondly, I really don't like Capello's management style. We score and he starts bollocking them. If I may make a comparison, as a Bolton fan under Gary Megson the fans and players were visibly miserable. Under Owen Coyle, when our players made mistakes, he'd get up, gee them on, tell them well done for trying. Don't get me wrong, he bollocks them too, but...to make another comparison, if you constantly tell a child off all the time, never praising them, it stops having any meaning. The England players are always being told how bad they are, anger always directed at them, yet they are (in the majority) some of the most highly paid players we have, sometimes they will need kid-gloves...they've just scored, praise them for **** sake. It feels as though his public face (during the match) is one of outright negativity. Compare him to the way Diego Maradonna reacted when they scored and it was a wonderful thing to see.

[elaniel]

This was my first ever soccer/football game that I have listened to. I was getting a lot of flak at work the last few weeks about the game being USA vs England as I am from the USA before moving to England so I had to pay attention to the game.

I thought it was a really good game, and think the USA played really well and we had great possession in the first half, considering we're not really known for being a great soccer team. I'm not very familiar with the game itself, nor the players but was really enjoyable, and was very tense. It did seem as if the USA side really tired down after the first half though.

Gotta be honest and say I'm happy we drew (even if our goal was a very lucky one), as I think that's the best we could hope for against such a good team in the World Cup. I did get very nervous when England scored so quickly in the first 4 minutes though. I thought it was going to be a very embarrassing match for us.

[Cuber001]

Hahaha! Bloody poms got nothing as usual! Asshats cost me $3000. Was my last game on a multi and i had them just to win. What a letdown. Really though, looks like another fail from England. Final will be Argentina and Spain with Spain to win. Although after Argentinas performance you cant go past them. Great game from them, and Messi was unlucky.

Anyway Australia vs Germany tonight. We will lose. I am hoping for a draw though. Would be happy for that.

[Adrock]

I dont understand the praise for Hesky, yes as usual he held up the ball but generaly nothing came of it. He set up the goal for Gerrard but its was the run that made the goal, not the ball into him, anyone could have made that pass, my grandmother could have.

I want to see defoe in the next game as he is a striker who can actualy score goals, thats all really.

Your granny should be playing in placeof SWP and Lampard then. Both couldn't perform any kind of short passing with reliability last night. The ball was weighted wonderfully for him.

I'm not a big Heskey fan at all, but last night he did very well. He dominated in the air and got the rest of the team involved. Dont forget we played long ball for almost the entire match, without Heskey there to get the ball down it'd be coming right back at us.

[Jebus]

I know this won't go down well, but Heskey did nothing that Kevin Davies doesn't do just as well, only Davies scores more.

As for today, 2 games I'll drift through followed by Germany vs Australia, which Germany should comfortably win.

[Adrock]

Why wont it go down well? The general consensus on these boards is that Davies is one of the better English strikers plying his trade at the moment. Well I've said it a few times, at least.

[Team Andromeda]

England to win the World Cup LOL. Keep on singing and dreaming Terry.

but Heskey did nothing that Kevin Davies doesn't do just as well, only Davies scores more

Agreed , It can only be the Bolton Factor . How that waste of space Heskey was chosen in-front of Davies, or Bent doesn't make sense . Its also putting far to much pressure on Ronney

6 million a year , what a joke.

I feel sorry for Green though, he a good keeper, and like most keepers will make the odd mess up, now and again

[Anpanman]

Was going to to a long post but Jebus summed up most of what I was going to say - cheers!

As far as Green goes though, I don't feel the hate that a lot of other people and media are giving him, out on my jog this morning one of our local rag stations were singling him out for ruining our chances of winning the WC - arseholes.

As far as I'm concerned if he did it in the 92nd minute then fair enough but our super squad of world class players had 45 mins+ to get another goal and couldn't, and this is against a team we should comfortably be beating. So I blame them, the outfield players.

[merf]

fair play to Green for fronting up to an interview but what a lot of crap he said

'not to make any excuses but the ball does move around a lot, you can see my thumbs missed the ball by a long way and I'm not that bad a keeper' !!!

it bounced twice before getting to him and wasn't that hard, didn't appear to be moving at all !

drop him on Friday and you effectively make him 3rd choice, do we risk it and stick with him, the save he made sort of hit him and he got lucky it hit the post.

[yesteryeargames]

dunno about bo selcta look alike but Capello does look like postman pat, ( lets hope he can deliver )

unlucky last night, Slovenia and Algeria better watch out!

[Nu-Eclipse]

i thought Capello looked like postman pat

Someone I know described him as "Heston Blumenthal with a Toup?"...

[Anpanman]

i thought Capello looked like postman pat, ( lets hope he can deliver )

unlucky last night, Slovenia and Algeria better watch out!

Haha, yes he did.

I agree, the amount of times I've been biting my nails watching England play the likes of some pub team I've lost count.

Last night I wasn't really worried, didn't think the USA gave us many problems and for the most part we were in control.

Am confident we'll do the job against the other two and make our way toward the quarters.
We are usually slow starters so am not concerned at this point.