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Football - NEWS
England strolled past Trinidad and Tobago yesterday like a
Porshe overtaking a bug. It was that easy.
England coach Capello politely said that he thought it had been
a worthwhile exercise. “Every game we play we go forward
step-by-step and every game we learn a lot,” he said. “I know
the players better and I know their characteristics and that is
very important”. Gareth Barry took over the captaincy from David
Beckham in the second half – and Capello said that he had now
tried out five captains for the role.
Two goals ahead within sixteen minutes – Barry got the first –
there were times when it was necessary to remind yourselves what
exactly it was England were doing here a few miles off the coast
of Venezuela at the end of a long, hard season. Oh yes, it was
about the bid for the 2018 World Cup and the vote of Jack
Warner, the controversial head of football on these small
islands and a power in Fifa. In terms of that rather dubious
objective the night could be considered a resounding success.
Above all, Trinidadians were at the Hasely Crawford stadium to
see Beckham whose name was cheered louder than any other. The
Football Association officials who were slowly cooking in their
regulation blue blazers will have noted Warner’s name was given
a warm reception too. Apparently that is not always the case
around here and what is good for Warner is good for the FA.
Of course, the real action starts in Basel on Saturday when Euro
2008 begins – without England. That sad fact was made all the
more poignant to see the likes of Steven Gerrard and Rio
Ferdinand trailing around in this pointless match when, in a
happier parallel universe, they would be preparing to play at a
major international tournament. Instead they were providing the
opposition for Dwight Yorke and his mates.
As well as Ashton’s debut, Joe Hart and Phil Jagielka were both
capped for the first time in a game that was billed in Trinidad
as “A Score to Settle” in reference to the largely forgettable
2-0 defeat for T&T against England at the 2006 World Cup finals.
That game might have been a speck in the history of the England
but in Port of Spain they still have not forgotten that day in
Nuremberg when Peter Crouch tugged the dreadlocks of defender
Brent Sancho seconds before he headed in the first goal. The
Liverpool striker’s name was booed by the home crowd just as
much as that of the Trinidad sports minister Gary Hunt who had
threatened not to make the stadium available for the game
earlier in the week.
Sixteen minutes gone and with England two goals up, the scale of
the task did not look particularly daunting. Certainly no more
difficult than taking potshots at a shoal of the local swordfish
delicacy after the aforementioned had been rounded up and placed
in a barrel. Truly, T&T were dreadful in defence and England
scored two quick goals with the minimum of effort.
Their lead came shortly after Kenwyne Jones, by far T&T’s most
promising player, had hobbled out the game following a collision
with David James as he chased a throughball that Ferdinand had
nervously shepherded back towards his goalkeeper. It will do
nothing to improve Roy Keane’s mood on his summer holidays to
know that Sunderland’s player of the season looks like he has a
bad knock to nurse through the next month.
England’s first goal came on 12 minutes when Stewart Downing’s
long ball down the left wing eluded the error-prone full-back
Kern Cupid and was taken on by Wayne Bridge. His cross was met
powerfully by Barry who came charging into the area and forced
the ball home from close range. In midfield, Gerrard was being
afforded as much time as he liked dictating the possession and
tempo of the game.
It is difficult to know what to make of an England performance
when they are up against the likes of Cupid – at times they must
have wondered themselves what they are doing here – but England
kept attacking. Four minutes after the goal, the inept Cupid was
completely out of position again when Downing played in Defoe
and he had all the time in the world to pick his spot. Defoe’s
two goals were his first for England since he scored twice
against Andorra in September 2004.
Half-time was the last we saw of Ashton, he was replaced by
Crouch who made Defoe’s second goal four minutes into the half.
A cross from the right from David Bentley, on for Beckham, was
headed down by the striker and into the path of Defoe. He should
have had his hat-trick shortly afterwards when Crouch and
Gerrard combined but Defoe scuffed his shot wide.
Trinidad & Tobago (4-4-2): Ince (Walsall); Cupid (W Connection),
Lawrence (Swansea), M Hislop (United Petrotrin), Farrier
(University of Southern Connecticut); Edwards (Sunderland),
Hyland (unattached), Whitley (San Juan Jabloteh), Daniel (United
Petrotrin); Jones (Sunderland), John (Southampton). Substitutes
used: Roberts (unattached), for Jones, 11; Telesford (Puerto
Rico Islanders) for Roberts, h-t; Smith (United Petrotrin) for
Cupid, h-t; Forbes (United Petrotrin), for John, 74; Yorke
(Sunderland) for Hyland, 76.
England (4-4-2): James (Portsmouth); Johnson (Portsmouth),
Ferdinand (Manchester United), Woodgate (Tottenham), Bridge
(Chelsea); Beckham (LA Galaxy), Gerrard (Liverpool), Barry
(Aston Villa), Downing (Middlesbrough); Defoe (Portsmouth),
Ashton (West Ham). Substitutes used: Hart (Manchester City) for
James, h-t; Crouch (Liverpool) for Ashton, h-t; Bentley
(Blackburn) for Beckham, h-t; Jagielka (Everton) for Ferdinand,
h-t; Young (Aston Villa) for Downing, 57; Walcott (Arsenal) for
Defoe, 69; Warnock (Blackburn) for Bridge, 84.
Referee: E Wingard (Surinam)
Man of the match: Gerrard.
Attendance: 23,000
Half-time: 0-2
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