Match Report by Mike Payne

This was the 23^rd international match between these two sides and it had to go down as probably the worst one ever as England's injury ravaged side struggled to contain an equally inept Brazil team.  The South Americans are a pale shadow of some of their illustrious predecessors and the fact they only beat a woeful England by a single goal says it all really.

The first half was a non-event as Brazil were content to keep possession and play in little triangles amongst their midfield players.  England meanwhile had neither the skill nor the inclination to take the game by the scruff of the neck and whatever Manager Fabio Capello might have gained from this exercise will probably be kept secret.  The only move of note in the first half involved Kaka's superb touch that gave Bastos a chance that he just put the wrong side of Ben Foster's far post.  Shaun Wright-Phillips did make one early run but his cross was too far for first time captain Wayne Rooney to reach.

Brazil showed their pace on occasions but the England defence, marshalled well by Matthew Upson, held their opponents with relative ease.  Foster did not have a save of note to make and at the other end England failed to hit any shots on target.  One had to feel sorry for the diehard England fans that had paid a King's Ransom to make the trip.  They had nothing to cheer at all as England, minus the likes of Gerrard, Cole, Lampard, Johnson, Ferdinand and, Terry and Carrick, who both cried off on the day, showed no attacking threat.  As a warm-up match for the World Cup next year it was an unmitigated disaster!

Immediately after the break things deteriorated even further for England as Brazil took the lead on 47 minutes.  Elano was given far too much room in midfield and, unchallenged, he was able to casually lob a pass forward that dropped between Wes Brown and Upson.  Up popped Nilmar to send a looping header up and over Foster and into the net.  Capello would have been most annoyed at this lapse in concentration so soon after the restart, especially as concentration at the back had been good during the first 45 minutes.  Nine minutes later Brazil should have made it 2-0 when a dreadful attempted pass back with his chest by Brown sold Foster woefully short.  The keeper tried to dive at the speedy Nilmar's feet but only succeeded in bringing the forward down for an obvious penalty.  What was not so obvious was the referee's yellow card as it really should have been a red for the fortunate goalkeeper.  To compound a crazy few minutes Luis Fabiano leaned back almost horizontally when taking the spot kick and blazed wildly over the bar.

Sadly, one sensed that England would not benefit from this let off because of their own failings on the night.  They neither looked capable nor interested enough to make a comeback with James Milner's volley being their only decent effort of the match.  In fact Milner was one of the few England players who enhanced his reputation on a night where World Cup places were there for the taking.  On this evidence all those missing stars will not worry too much about their tickets for South Africa.

The nearest either side came to scoring in the final 15 minutes came when defender Lucio strode forward for Brazil, unchallenged again, to hit a swerving shot that cannoned back off of Foster's left hand post.  In the end only Milner, Foster, Barry, Lescott, Upson and Rooney came out of the match with any credit.  It was a very disappointing performance from England.