CONTINUATION
This is not a new op but a continuation of my England football op. That op had reached its maximum limit of 5500 words. Ciao gave me permission to continue my England cricket op so I am assuming Ciao will do likewise for the football version. I try to update this op after every England match.
UPDATED June 2002
ENGLAND 1 SWEDEN 1
Well the World Cup has finally got under way for England.
England started very well and the passing and movement was good. I did notice a lack of players in the midfield though.
David Beckham led by example. Darius Vassell really looked lively. The Swedes started off very sluggishly.
Sol Campbell put England ahead from a great header from a Beckham corner. Afterwards England seemed to relax.
After half-time Sweden simply took over. They got a deserved equaliser and were unlucky not to win the match.
England pumped a few long balls bypassing the midfield.
But a draw in the first group match is an ideal result for both teams.
The ITV commentary team of Clive Tyldesley and Ron Atkinson were very poor. For the second half I had the radio on listening to Radio 5 Live’s Alan Green and Terry Butcher. At least there was enthusiasm and passion in their summary.
When Alexandersson shot for goal I was not sure if it would go in. But the radio commentary shouted goal before the ball had entered the net on the TV. I wonder if there are satellite problems, which caused the time difference.
Since Sven became manager he has tried to build a young team. After the Swedish game all of the pundits said that he should have brought in more experienced players. I remember that in the 1970s England had an ageing and losing team. These pundits then called for youth to be given a chance. You cannot have things both ways.
There has been saturated coverage on the TV and radio about the World Cup. The problem is that football is a game of opinions. The more pundits you listen to the confused you will become.
ITV has its own World Cup panel, a format that does not really work. It was nice to see Gabby Logan hosting a few programmes though.
The main problem has been filling in the time between games. Players and managers have been interviewed at length and they all say basically the same things.
ENGLAND 1 ARGENTINA 0
About half an hour before this match started I told my postman Raymond that I hoped England would get a draw. He said that he hoped for a victory.
The Argentina players really got stuck in to the England players from the off. They employed a similar tactic in the friendly against Germany a few months back. Ortega, Simeone and the right full back should have been booked. Batistuta should have been sent off after his elbow on Beckham.
Argentina dominated the opening 15 minutes. Owen was unlucky to hit the post. I was surprised no one picked up Veron who had a free role. Killy Gonzalez should have scored. David Beckham scored from a penalty just before half time.
Michael Owen was tripped in the box, which gave the penalty. But the pace he tumbled over did not match the pace at which he tried to dribble past the defender. But the Argentinean players were really scared whenever he got the ball.
England played very well in the first 15 minutes of the second half. I was pretty scared when Aimar replaced Veron. Aimar has put in some very good performances in the Champions League. All his long range shots were wide.
The Argentinean players put England under intense pressure for the last 20 minutes. I was pretty tense myself. Seaman made a world class save from a point blank header.
David Beckham was not substituted for psychological reasons. Seeing their captain on the field maintained the spirit of the England players.
A few months ago Killy Gonzalez said that he wanted to beat England as revenge for the Falklands War. He was substituted in the second half and also got a bloody nose from Beckham.
When Beckham broke his metatarsal bone there was mass rejoicing in Argentina. Perhaps justice was done.
UPDATE
For the past few days I have been proudly wearing my England T-shirt in Tesco, Homebase, Burger King and Woolworths. I have also been getting strange looks but that is nothing new.
I seemed to be on a permanent high after the win against Argentina. Apparently the England team sang ‘Don’t cry for me, Argentina’ as part of their post-match celebrations.
ENGLAND 0 NIGERIA 0
This match kicked off at 7.30 a.m. BST. So I got into bed nice and early at 2 am!
For once the England supporters did not boo the opposition national anthem.
Nigeria omitted 5 regulars from their team. They started very confidently. England looked quite mentally tired.
The Nigerian forwards were giving Campbell and Cole the run-around. But their final ball was disappointing. Paul Scholes had the best chance of the first half when his long-range shot was turned onto the post. But England did look better towards the end of the first half.
After 60 minutes I think the Nigerians settled for the draw. They were probably thinking ‘it’s a very hot day to play football, this match is meaningless, we fly home tomorrow.’
Teddy Sheringham had the best chance of the second half with only the goalkeeper to beat. David Beckham’s passing was not up to his usual high standard.
I must admit I fell asleep during the second half. Funnily enough in all 3 games so far England played better in the first half than the second half.
I did have a few concerns though. David Seaman did not have all that much to do. But he lacked concentration at times and his communication with the back 4 could have been better. The defence played too deep and did not pressurise the Nigerian strikers.
The England midfield did not close down their counterparts like in the Argentina game. Jay Jay Ochaka could dictate matters without being challenged. The England forwards should have realised that the Nigerians could not spring the offside trap. More one-twos should have been played. Also the Nigerian goalkeeper was only 19 and quite suspect with crosses. He should have been tested more.
England finished second in their group behind Sweden. They now play Denmark on Saturday at 12.30 BST.
For some strange reason twice in the last 4 days I have dreamt of the Danish defender Stig Tofting. There must be some ulterior meaning to this.
UPDATE
ENGLAND 3 DENMARK 0
Well Stig Tofting got booked and substituted in the match. So may be that was my dream interpretation.
England scored after 3 minutes from a Rio Ferdinand header from a David Beckham corner. Thomas Sorenson made a mess of holding on to the ball. The Danish defender Laursen needlessly gave away that corner. The goal came too early for me as I was just getting into the match.
The Danish possession was great. England was happy to let the Danes come at them. The only thing that let down the Danes was their final ball. Michael Owen got the second.
Ebbe Sand should have got one goal back but missed when it was easier to score. England went 3 up after David Beckham put through Emile Heskey. At half-time it was 3-0. Game over.
The BBC half-time analysis was interesting. Peter Schmeichel looked in shock. Peter Reid could not gloat at England’s lead, as it was his own goalkeeper at Sunderland who had made the errors.
The second half was quite boring. Owen and Scholes came off. Kieron Dyer looked good for a short period. I fell asleep near the end of the match.
My only criticism was that despite a 3-0 lead England conceded possession too often.
Afterwards I went out to grab a couple of pizzas. The atmosphere outside was fantastic. My local pub was packed. Business must have been brilliant.
England now plays Brazil in the quarter-final on Friday. Unfortunately the match is a 7.30 am kick-off. I just hope England can keep their shape. Brazil has a habit of pulling opponents out of position and exploiting the space. A golden goal victory for England will really make my day.
I have another reason for wanting victory on Friday. About 9 years ago I attended a job club set up by my local job centre. On the first day there was a beautiful Brazilian woman sitting next to me. I was amazed when she gave me her telephone number that day with no prompting from me. I phoned her a few days later. She basically said that some friends were round and that she would not speak to me and promptly ended the conversation. Women can be really cruel at times.
UPDATE
ENGLAND 1 BRAZIL 2
I just managed to get up in time for the 7.30 a.m. kick-off. I missed the preamble of the national anthems and the words of wisdom of the pundits.
Brazil was all over England in the first 15 minutes. Emile Heskey really caught my eye. He played very deeply in midfield and managed to win and lay off the ball to a midfielder. Heskey is a confidence player, which means he needs to be told how good he is all the time.
I was pleased that Juninho was left out of the team. He could have created havoc just outside the penalty area.
England’s goal was quite simple. A long ball was fed to Heskey who turned his marker and lofted the ball to Lucio. The defender miscontrolled the ball and Owen pounced on it and put England ahead.
England looked pretty solid after the goal. The Brazilians even started to argue amongst themselves. England was gradually grinding the Brazilians down.
The Brazilian equaliser was a farce. Beckham dispossessed a Brazilian midfielder and tried to put the ball out of play, which was the percentage shot to play. But 2 Brazilians somehow managed to stop the ball on the touchline. Beckham simply jumped over the ball instead of putting it into the stand.
The Brazilians broke and Scholes missed a tackle. Ronaldinho ran through the middle while being ball-watched by Ashley Cole. Rivaldo got the ball and beat Seaman for the equaliser.
A goal before half-time is always a sickener. I still thought that England had too much for Brazil.
Paul Scholes gave away a free kick 3 minutes into the second half. I thought that the ball would be whipped into the penalty area and be dealt with by either Mills or Campbell. But Ronaldinho outchipped Seaman for an outrageous goal.
When I saw the kick being taken I saw no danger. But the radio commentary suddenly said 2-1. The live TV pictures still had the ball in the air. I have mentioned before that the radio was slightly ahead of the TV pictures.
Soon afterwards Ronaldhino was sent off for a foul on Mills.
I thought England would follow the lead of Premiership teams and really attack Brazil for the last 30 minutes. But they hardly created a chance. It was as if they felt sorry for themselves at losing to a freak goal. At the end I was pretty gutted. A few tears were shed.
Before the game I felt that if England could take the lead the defence was good enough to keep a clean sheet. I never thought that England would squander a lead.
David Seaman should take the blame for the goal. He made a similar mistake in the European Cup Winners final in the mid 1990s against Real Zaragoza. In his autobiography he said that goal was a freak and never likely to happen again. Lightning does strike twice.
Apparently goals like Ronaldhino’s are quite common in Japan. The combination of the high humidity and the special surface of the ball mean that unusual spin is imparted on the ball causing these goals.
Seaman’s goalkeeping coach at Arsenal Bob Wilson looked ashen-faced when presenting the Germany v USA quarter-final.
I was shocked to learn that Owen and Beckham were not fit for the Brazil game. Surely they should have been substituted earlier in the match.
In all the matches England failed to produce in the second half. Perhaps the fact that players only played half a match in friendlies had a psychological bearing on their performances.
PLAYER ANALYSIS
David Seaman had a mixed tournament. He made a great save against Argentina in the second half. But he will always be remembered for the error, which put England out of the World Cup. He peaked in 1996 and has gone downhill since then. At 39 it’s time to retire.
Nigel Martyn and David James did not play. Martyn is too old to be an England regular. I think that goalkeepers reach their peak at 33 or 34. James still has time on his side.
Danny Mills was a revelation. I thought that his tackling style would get him a few yellow cards. But he recovered from the mistake against Sweden. His forays into attack really troubled the opposition.
Ashley Cole had a good tournament. The Argentians tried to rough him up and he retaliated and got a booking. His failure to tackle Ronaldinho led to Brazil’s first goal.
Rio Ferdinand had a great tournament. Man Utd are interested in him now. He even dated the gorgeous Kirstie Gallagher.
Sol Campbell scored his first England goal against Sweden. Sometimes he fell asleep during matches. Danny Mills helped him out a lot.
David Beckham was not match fit for the tournament. His best moment was scoring the penalty against Argentina. He was disappointing at dead-ball situations given his reputation. He should have been substituted after 60 minutes in every match.
Paul Scholes had a mixed tournament. His best moment was the long-range shot against Argentina, which deserved a goal. His performance against Brazil was a shambles. He should have got the ball from Ronaldhino for the first goal. His foul led to the free kick for the Brazil goal.
Nicky Butt was a revelation. His best performance was against Argentina. Even the great Pele was impressed.
Trevor Sinclair only had one good game and was against Argentina. Whenever he got the ball he simply tracked back and made the simple pass. If he took on more defenders then more chances would have been created.
Michael Owen scored 2 goals in the World Cup. His best moment was beating the Argentinian defenders and hitting the post. As he was injured and not fit he should have been substituted much earlier.
Emile Heskey had a good tournament. He held the ball up with his back to goal excellently. No defender could cope with his physical presence.
Darius Vassell was the best player in the Sweden match. Perhaps he should have been used more as a substitute.
Kieron Dyer did well to get fit for the finals. He had a few useful touches but did not hurt the opposition.
Teddy Sheringham did well in the warm up games. But the heat and humidity caught up with his advancing age. Perhaps he should retire from international football.
Joe Cole only played for a short time. He did not influence the match but is one for the future.
Owen Hargreaves did well against Sweden. But he got injured against Argentina. He really ought to be playing in the Premiership.
MEDIA COVERAGE
I mostly listened to the commentary of Radio 5 Live, which was excellent. The BBC coverage was slightly better than ITV’s. I hated the ad breaks on ITV.
Desmond Lynam looked too old. Ron Atkinson’s analysis was quite boring. But Gabby Yorath was a joy to watch.
The last few weeks have been memorable.
They think it’s all over, it is now.
UPDATED January 2003
RECAP
Since the World Cup I have lost a little interest in international football. This update deals with the 3 matches England has played since the World Cup.
ENGLAND 1 PORTUGAL 1
This was another friendly with mass substitutions. This will probably be remembered for Alan Smith’s first international goal.
SLOVAKIA 1 ENGLAND 2
England’s performance in the first half was awful. They just seemed like 11 individuals. Slovakia looked like an international team. But in the second half Slovakia relaxed and England gained a lucky victory. Beckham and Owen scored for England.
ENGLAND 2 MACEDONIA 2
England played abysmally in this match. I saw the match live on TV. There was simply no link between England’s defence, midfield and attack. David Seaman made another catastrophic error from a corner kick. Perhaps it is time for him to quit international football.
I think Alan Smith was sent off at the end of the match. In his short career he has been sent off nearly 10 times. But he added energy to the team.
At the end of the game I felt quite bad. I could not believe what I had seen.
ANALYSIS
Football is basically a simple game. The England midfield was neither creative nor did they close the opposition down. By playing 2 wide men the midfield was outnumbered by the opposition. It is difficult to criticise a team, which beat Germany 5-1 just over a year ago. But the Germans learnt from that defeat and reached the World Cup final.
In football there is a lot of politics, which is unknown to the public. Sven was quite close to Adam Crozier who resigned a few weeks ago. I have no idea whom his replacement will be. But if Sven does not get on with the new man then he may go.
There has been speculation that Sven may return to Serie A in Italy. As his girlfriend Nancy is Italian (and quite tasty) this is quite likely.
UPDATED March 2003
ENGLAND 1 AUSTRALIA 3
Well the unbelievable happened. Australia beat England at football.
England picked a full strength team in the first half but was behind at half-time. The team was completely changed for the second half. Even 17 year old Wayne Rooney made his international debut. Arsenal’s Francis Jeffers scored England’s goal. The 3 Australian goals were due to poor defensive lapses by England. Really only Australia was up for the match.
This club versus country row is nothing new. I can remember in the 1970s club managers pulling players out of friendlies with fake injuries.
Nowadays the Champions League means that many more games are played. This must have a detrimental on players’ performances. Interestingly only a few clubs in the second stage of the Champions League were League Champions. I am not too bothered about England friendly games.
I remember seeing Australia taking part in the 1974 World Cup in Germany. They did reasonably well. Craig Johnston was the first Australian to do well by playing for Liverpool. Now most of the Australian squad is based in Europe. They ought to qualify for the next World Cup.
UPDATED April 2003
LIECHTENSTEIN 0 ENGLAND 2
Sven picked a pretty strong squad for the qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Turkey. It was good to see Wayne Rooney retain his place.
Liechtenstein should have scored early on. David James was nowhere. Given the superior quality of the England players, they should have dominated more and made more of their possession.
England’s first goal was scored by an Owen header from Heskey’s cross. I felt bored watching the action on BBC1. The whole match was uninspiring. If I was watching the game in a pub I would be very disappointed with the effort put in.
England’s second goal was a classic Beckham freekick. I am amazed how easily the players fell in challenges just outside the penalty area. It is as if the players are saying to themselves, if we can get a few freekicks outside the box then Becks will surely slot one in.
There was a lot of showboating going on by the England players i.e. trying flicks which led to nothing. They would never contemplate those moves in Premier League matches.
The team selection was right but the shape was not. Liechtenstein is the third worst team in Europe behind Luxembourg and San Marino. Surely England should have won by more.
Kieron Dyer is not the answer to England’s left sided problems. When Wayne Bridge made runs to support Dyer the ball was not given to him. Inevitably Dyer lost possession and the opposition had a numerical advantage. Dyer should play in the same position as he does for Newcastle.
I would always play a defensive midfielder like Nicky Butt. David Beckham’s work rate was amazing. He was the only player prepared to ‘bust a gut’ for the team. He never worked as hard for Man Utd or for England before he became captain.
ENGLAND 2 TURKEY 0
As this match started at 8 p.m. I did my Internet surfing beforehand. So I missed the pre-match predictions of Alan Hansen, Ian Wright and Peter Reid.
There was certainly a lot of needle between the rival fans and also between the players. As Britain was at war, patriotism was at a very high level.
England’s performance had plenty of energy. Steven Gerrard was doing a great job on the left side. The players won a lot of 50-50 balls.
Wayne Rooney was a revelation on his full debut. I noticed that the crowd noise increased whenever he had the ball. I remember the same thing happening at Anfield when Kenny Dalglish was in possession near the penalty area.
David Beckham was too wound up for the match. He got booked early on and was afterwards taunted by the opposition. Players play their best with a controlled aggressive attitude.
England’s first goal was scored by Darius Vassell who came on as substitute. England’s second was a penalty by David Beckham. But Kieron Dyer ‘s fall in the penalty box was a dodgy decision.
This was the best England performance for some time.
Turkey showed a lot of skill. But they were not at their best.
I remember back in the 1980s that they lost 8-0 to England under Sir Bobby Robson. Last year they finished third in the World Cup. They were unlucky not to beat a Brazil side containing a cheating Rivaldo.
I think that the key for them was to send Turkish players to play in foreign leagues. Playing in another country adds a different dimension to one’s game. Living in another country toughens you mentally. I just wish more of the England squad played abroad.
Happy Easter!
UPDATED May 2003
SOUTH AFRICA 1 ENGLAND 2
This was another meaningless friendly. England took the lead after 37 seconds from a Gareth Southgate header. South Africa was more up for the match than England. This showed in their hard tackling.
South Africa got a lucky penalty from a Danny Mills handball. This would never have been given in the Premiership. Benny McCarthy scored the penalty. In the past he was linked with Aston Villa. But he was not very impressive in this match.
David Beckham fell awkwardly on his hand and broke his scaphoid bone. Steven Gerrard looked livelier than his displays for Liverpool. Paul Scholes looked jaded. The commentator made the point that this was not the same player who scored a great hat trick against Newcastle a few weeks earlier.
Emile Heskey scored the winner and was then taken off. The South African goalkeeper dropped nearly everything. Given that South Africa was the home side their overall effort was disappointing.
This trip was slightly different than before. The team landed in South Africa on the Tuesday. The following morning they got up early to meet Nelson Mandela. Gareth Southgate and a few other players stayed at the hotel rather than meet the ex-premier. The match took place on Thursday and the team immediately flew to La Manga.
It was interesting to note that the Southampton players James Beattie and Wayne Bridge missed the trip to South Africa, as they wanted a rest after their exertions in the FA Cup final. Instead they played at Middlesborough in a testimonial match. I wonder what action Sven will take against them?
UPDATED June 2003
ENGLAND 2 SERBIA & MONTENEGRO 1
I actually forgot that this match was on. The Premier League season finished 3 weeks ago and I am now concentrating on Big Brother and the cricket.
This was a friendly ‘friendly’. Serbia was using this match as a gentle workout for their Euro 2004 qualifier a few days later. As expected there were mass substitutions. In fact 43 players played on the pitch. I felt sorry for the crowd who paid good money for little more than a training match.
The match took place at the Walkers Stadium in Leicester. Gary Lineker was the FA’s guest of honour.
England dominated throughout the match. Steven Gerrard scored England’s first goal after a 1-2 with Michael Owen. But the Serbian midfield did not close down their counterparts quickly enough.
Serbia equalised through a sloppy goal from a corner. English defenders are pretty good at defending from corners. So it was sad to concede a goal this way. Mathew Upson, making his international debut, was to blame for this goal.
The match was ruined by all the substitutions. Joe Cole scored a great free-kick to win the match with about 10 minutes to go. In fact Michael Owen, Emile Heskey, Phil Neville and Jamie Carragher each wore the captain’s armband.
This was good preparation for the Slovakia qualifier. But should players be playing serious internationals a month after their domestic league has ended?
The England squad has a nice youthful look to it. It was good to see flair players such as Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney given international experience. Back in the 1970s I remember players such as Tony Currie, Alan Hudson, Charlie George, Rodney Marsh etc exciting league crowds but given few international opportunities.
UPDATED June 2003
ENGLAND 2 SLOVAKIA 1
I saw this match live on BBC1. It was quite a hot evening so I spent some of the evening in the garden.
England was very hyped up for the first few minutes. Then Slovakia took control of the first half. They took a lead direct from a free kick. David James was to blame for the goal.
Slovakia then had a couple of chances which should have been put away. The balance of England’s midfield was not quite right.
In the second half Slovakia lost all their confidence. Michael Owen equalised from a penalty after a dubious fall. He then scored the winner. Darius Vassell came on for Wayne Rooney and looked lively and sharp. He does not seem the same player for Aston Villa.
The shape of the game was very similar to the previous match in Slovakia.
David James is a very good goalkeeper but is prone to lapses of concentration. David Seaman has moved to Man City but may be too old for England. Paul Robinson did not have a great time last season.
The match was not very entertaining to watch. It was the last game of a very long season. So there were a few tired limbs on display.
This was the first serious match in which David Beckham did not play. The team certainly lacked his energy. But he is making more headlines off the pitch nowadays.
I do feel sad at the end of the football season. I shall pass the time trying to watch the cricket on Channel 4. Doctors have identified a new mood disorder called end-of-season melancholy.
England will qualify for Euro 2004 either as group winners or via a play-off if they finish second.
UPDATED August 2003
ENGLAND 3 CROATIA 1
This friendly international at Portman Road was played just a few days after the opening games of the Premiership.
England scored from a David Beckham penalty after a few minutes. The Croatian defender simply stuck his hand out at the ball under no pressure in the penalty area. Croatia played the better football and had a few shots saved by David James.
Michael Owen headed the second goal after a perfect cross from Beckham. Croatia got a goal back before Frank Lampard scored England’s third. England made 10 substitutions and had about 5 captains on the field. Croatia simply went through the motions. Joe Cole was more attack-minded and Frank Lampard has improved in every game. This win makes it six out of the last six for England.
BBC1 showed highlights at 11.50 p.m. which was too late. At the pre-match press conference Sven said that not many substitutions would be made which was a lie.
Beckham and Owen seem to be scoring most of the goals. I hope that the team is not getting too reliant on these two. The next two Euro 2004 qualifiers will be played in September.
UPDATED September 2003
MACEDONIA 1 ENGLAND 2
This Euro 2004 qualifier was very similar to the matches against Slovakia. Macedonia dominated the first half but fell apart in the second half.
England did the right things in the first ten minutes. Thereafter Macedonia controlled the game. England made elementary mistakes such as giving the ball away too frequently. Artim Sartiri was unlucky to be given offside after a 1-2 sliced open England. Macedonia took the lead after a catalogue of defensive errors. Gary Neville put his hand up for offside despite playing the forward onside. Sol Campbell tried to head the ball just above the ground when booting it into touch would have been easier. Georgi Hristov hit the ball against David James who kicked the ball into the net. It was quite farcical.
Macedonia did not play at all in the second half. It was as if they had expended all their energy in the first half. Within a few minutes England had equalised and taken the lead. A hopeful punt by David Beckham found Emile Heskey’s head and Wayne Rooney scored his first England goal. At 17 he became the youngest ever England goalscorer eclipsing Michael Owen. John Terry later got caught in the penalty area and Beckham coolly converted the penalty.
The match was not pretty to watch. I certainly found the action boring. I was amused at the number of advertising boards around the ground plugging English products. David James made a few saves but I got the feeling that a clanger was just around the corner. Ashley Cole is better going forward than defending. Beckham cleverly moved into the centre of midfield after England went a goal down. It was good seeing a player prepared to take responsibility in this situation.
England has now won 7 out of the last 7 matches.
UPDATED September 2003
ENGLAND 2 LIECHENSTEIN 0
I missed the live telecast of this match as my wife had severe toothache. Prior to the match the main talking point was David Beckham’s return to Old Trafford.
I got the match info from the BBC football site. The first half was goalless. Michael Owen scored the first goal from a header just after the break. Wayne Rooney scored England’s second a few minutes later. Apparently Rooney was England’s best player. The match report said that England’s victory was comfortable.
I though that England would have scored a hatful of goals. But no criticism can be levelled at a team, which has won 8 out of 8. The next match in Turkey will be much tougher than this.
HYPE FOR TURKEY MATCH
The hype for the final Euro 2004 qualifier has already started. The war of words has already begun. This will increase up to the match. Really there is a lot of propaganda for a mere football match. Both teams are assured of at least a play-off place.
There was crowd trouble in the first England v Turkey qualifier. Even Turkish kebab shops were vandalised. There is also the backdrop of the Galatasaray v Leeds hooliganism a few years ago. The FA has asked England fans not to travel. This is good advice theoretically but impractical to implement. Thousands of holidaymakers visit Turkey every year. I am sure that there are plenty of business travellers as well.
England would do well to spend the maximum amount of time in Italy. This would defuse tension. It would be nice if the England players held coaching clinics for a few Turkish kids. Hopefully the match will be competitive but not dirty.
UPDATED October 2003
TURKEY 0 ENGLAND 0
For the past few days I had the feeling that this match would be drawn. England always play their best when their backs are against the wall. The Rio Ferdinand affair sent the media coverage of the game into overdrive. Only Turkish fans filled the stadium, which caused an intimidating atmosphere. Everything was against England.
The England players showed solidarity for the national anthem. England dictated the play nicely for the first 20 minutes. Turkey felt the pressure of having to win the game. Turkey had some nice midfield movements but did not really penetrate the England defence. Referee Collina of Italy was the right man for the job.
England got a penalty after Steven Gerrard was tripped. David Beckham missed his first ever international penalty. Alpay’s reaction afterwards should have merited a yellow card. Emile Heskey led the attack very well. He seems to play better at international level than for Liverpool. Rooney often found space but his final ball was disappointing. Sven’s counter-attacking tactics were perfect for this game.
A Sky Sports reporter mentioned a fracas in the tunnel just after half time. It was amazing that this fracas was captured on film. There was a lot of bad feeling between the players. Collina calmed the situation down otherwise the second half would have been a bloodbath.
I missed the second half as my wife wanted to see Pop Idol. I gather that the second half was pretty scrappy.
Ideally an international match should be watched by both sets of fans. It was unfair only to have Turkish fans in the stadium. It would have been better for the match to be played behind closed doors. The airport security was excellent. All England supporters arriving in Turkey were flown back to the UK. There was heavy security around the stadium. The few England supporters outside the stadium were all identified by the Turkish police and refused entry to the match. The whole security operation must have been very expensive. UEFA at long last are dealing with hooliganism. Better late than never!
Turkey has yet to score against England. I cannot believe that this is the same team, which reached 3rd place at the World Cup. I loved their performance against Brazil in the opening phase. They now play Latvia in the Euro 2004 playoffs.
The England performance was near perfect. It was better than the 0-0 in Italy under Glen Hoddle. The fact that Sven is non-English rules out any accusations of bias in picking the squad. The squad virtually picks itself. I just hope that the players are not too tired by the time Euro 2004 starts.
20.02.2004 13:15
Was the 5-1 England/Germany match a friendly. If so must be the last time England played well in a friendly. Shame.
23.10.2003 11:07
Hi Paul. Thanks for alerting me to the update, which was just getting interesting when it stopped mid-sentence. Some Ciao glitch or other? I don't know, but you might like to have a look at it. Cheers, Duncan
07.10.2003 10:58
Very thorough op!