England 3-1 Egypt - 7M sport

England 3-1 Egypt



Posted Thursday, March 04, 2010 by theguardian.com

Peter Crouch substitutes goals for England's first-half sloppiness

England 3-1 Egypt
Peter Crouch of England celebrates after scoring England's third goal.

England had a friendly that suited them, even if it was not always to the taste of a Wembley audience that saw the team fall behind. That setback contained real worth since it staved off any torpor that might have taken a grip on players who, in some cases, are between matches in the more pressing arena of the Champions League.

Fabio Capello had to call upon his substitutes to score, with two goals from Peter Crouch and another from Shaun Wright-Phillips. It would be a comfort for the manager to tell himself that he has alternatives at his disposal. The Italian would have been disappointed by Jermain Defoe, whose first start for his country since November 2008 ended at the interval when he was replaced by Crouch.

The fixture had a minor benefit, too, in easing John Terry back towards normality in his career after being stripped of the England captaincy. It is to his benefit that the subject is already a bore and there was only a modest amount of booing for him to endure at kick-off.

This was the last England match before the World Cup that looked significant. Further friendlies with Japan and Mexico follow the close of the domestic season and must be treated as mere fitness exercises, with most of the party appearing in them at some stage.

The match with Egypt took on another type of prominence when the visitors took the lead in the 23rd minute. A diagonal pass from Hosny Abdrabou on the left was flighted to Mohamed Zidan and, with Matthew Upson losing his balance, the Borussia Dortmund attacker shot past Robert Green efficiently.

The inclusion of the West Ham goalkeeper suggested that Joe Hart, on loan from Manchester City to Birmingham, has no prospect of becoming first-choice as England's goalkeeper until after the World Cup finals. Green was kept occupied by the visitors at Wembley.

Hassan Shehata's team were at their most competitive in the first-half although England tried to be brisk at the start. Those who wonder if Egypt's 3-5-2 formation is so archaic that it belongs in a costume drama received initial encouragement.

With one man, in theory, asked to cover an entire flank there ought to have been scope for a winger. Theo Walcott, who ultimately failed, might have liked the look of Capello's 4-4-2 system that emphasised width. The Arsenal winger sped clear in the fifth minute but the ensuing drive from Frank Lampard was blocked.

There were other gaps to exploit, too, and, with 13 minutes gone, Wayne Rooney turned smartly to feed Defoe. The attacker was rapidly challenged on what became a depressing occasion for him. Egypt, who have now won the Africa Cup of Nations for a third time in a row, were a serious challenge at the outset.

This match was open, with the visitors showing enterprise whenever feasible. England were not able to pin down the opposition before the interval but there were bursts of encouragement even then.

Lampard, for instance, had an opportunity, only for his attempt to be hit into the turf so that it bounced up steeply and cleared the bar. The action, nonetheless, had surely been too open and spontaneous for Capello's taste. With a World Cup in the offing, England, on home turf, would have expected to be in control. Outnumbered in midfield, they found that command lacking for while.

Changes were expected and Michael Carrick took over from Lampard while Crouch replaced Defoe. The incoming Tottenham attacker offered height to complement Rooney yet the impact was not immediate. One pass from Gerrard was so overhit that even the ever-willing Rooney made merely a token effort to pursue it. The side was not really so listless. With 56 minutes gone, Gerrard worked the ball to the right and Gareth Barry's low cross was converted at the near post by Crouch.

For the first time the visitors were pinned down. Capello's achievements have been many but it is worth mentioning his capacity for getting such endeavour out of his men when there is little at stake. Rooney sprinted hard to reach a fine through-ball from Barry but the finish ran wide. By then England had conviction. There were only sporadic concerns, although the sight of Terry being outpaced in one episode suggested he has not quite regained the old knack of nipping danger in the bud. Attention was soon drawn from that as England took the lead.

The Egypt goalkeeper, Essam El Hadary, was unconvincing in blocking an effort from one substitute James Milner and then failed to block the drive that followed from another, Wright-Phillips, with 15 minutes left. A third England goal followed from Crouch, although he looked off-side when converting Wright-Phillips' cross. England's domination, at least, was no longer in question.



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