Match Summary

Honduras Team

Sometimes, when you watch an England international, you think to yourself, why did I watch that?  This was one of those games.  Quite frankly it was awful! 

Roy Hodgson decided to go with what was almost a first choice eleven for this final 'friendly', but the problem was that it was painfully obvious that the England players were desperate not to receive an injury before the real action starts in a week's time.  That led to, what I call, 'don't pass the ball to me tonight' sort of play, as some of the England players shirked their responsibility.  Unfortunately the Honduras side had but one thought too, and that was to rough England up.  Their over-physical approach was hardly conducive to England's plan for a quiet night.  And then, of course, there was the weather!  With 22 minutes of the match gone the mother of all thunderstorms rolled round the stadium and the referee deemed that the horrendous lightening was a danger to life and limb!  So the play was suspended for a total of 41 minutes.  When the players returned there were more stoppages than there is in a rugby match, as player after player hit the deck with an injury.

As for the actual football, there was very little incident of note.  Most of England's chances were only half-chances and they were all squandered.  Danny Welbeck shot wide, Rooney's free-kick was saved, eventually, and then Welbeck and Rooney messed up after good play by Adam Lallana had set up a half-chance.  Steven Gerrard saw a free-kick blocked and then just before the enforced break Daniel Sturridge had the best chance of the match to date, but just pulled his shot wide of the far post.  At the other end Honduras failed to trouble Joe Hart, although credit to Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka for matching the physicality of the Central Americans.  The two central defenders certainly didn't shirk their duties, that's for sure!

There is no doubt the break was unsettling, and yet another hiccup to England's build-up to the tournament, but it was the same for both sides and when the game restarted it was Honduras who looked more up for the fight, quite literally.  Emilio Izaguirre was the first in the book for a foul on Sturridge, and he was lucky not to see red for kicking the ball into the Liverpool player's stomach after the free-kick had already been given.  Honduras certainly didn't take any prisoners with their challenges and there was a serious danger to England's players.

Jordan Henderson was one England player who did impress on the night, and he showed tremendous energy as he linked the play with Gerrard.  Henderson combined with Sturridge in one attack, but the ball was cleared.  Before half-time Lallana shot wide and Jagielka had a header easily saved.  Wilson Palacios shot wide following a deflection from the only real chance for Honduras.  The half-time score said it all as neither side looked remotely like scoring apart from that one Sturridge shot that went wide.  Surely the second-half would be better?

After the break Gerrard and Rooney went off and Hodgson sent on Jack Wilshere and Ross Barkley, and immediately the pair injected a little bit of life into the play.  But Victor Bernardez and Brayan Beckeles were both booked after more unfair physical play.  On 53 minutes, a good move down the left ended with Leighton Baines seeing his cross deflected for a corner, and then a minute later a superb burst by Barkley set up Sturridge again, but his attempted lob went well wide.  Sturridge was trying to be a little too clever with his effort when perhaps power might have been the better choice for his shot.  Wilshere and Barkley then combined but a saving tackle stopped the Everton player.  On 59 minutes Welbeck and Lallana also combined in a good attack but Welbeck's shot was saved by the keeper.  Two minutes later Lallana was booked as frustration grew within the England ranks.

There was some sloppy play from England at times, as when Glen Johnson ruined a good attack with some poor control.  The stop-start nature of the match made it a poor spectacle and the referee finally lost his patience after Beckeles went in on Baines with his arm hitting the Everton player first, before the rest of the challenge took him out, a second yellow followed by a red card for the Honduras player.

Worryingly, England had rarely troubled the goalkeeper, and more substitutions from both sides upset all of what little continuity there was left in the play.  Henderson's fine pass almost set up Lallana on 68 minutes, and Baines put in another 'nearly' cross, which came to nothing.  Then, out of the blue, on 73 minutes, England looked certain to score.  Johnson sent over a perfect cross from the right on to the head of Sturridge, but the 'in-form' striker only succeeded in heading the ball well over the bar.  In that one moment the quality of the match was summed up.  The remaining minutes was just a succession of substitutions, fouls, bookings, more fouls and bad-tempered exchanges.  If only they had ended the match when the storm came, because it wasn't a bad game up to that point!   

England now move on to Brazil with the nation's good wishes still very much with them.  Oh, how we all want them to do well!  This match was a necessary evil, but it is gone now and everyone can now focus on the real thing.  As for Honduras, well, if I never see them again it will be too soon!
  

Steven Gerrard accused Honduras players of committing 'horrific' tackles as tempers flared during England’s final pre-World Cup friendly in Miami, a match which was interrupted for 43 minutes by an electrical storm.
Gerrard was one of several England players subjected to rough treatment, and the captain was furious with Honduras, and American referee Ricardo Salazar, who sent off Brayan Beckeles for two yellow card offences in the second half.
He said: "There were some horrific tackles and we are just relieved there were no injuries. I certainly got one and so did some of the others. The referee was poor. I don't understand a referee who can see a player blast the ball at Daniel Sturridge and not be sent off."
England’s frustration was compounded as Sturridge appeared to be struck by a drink thrown from the crowd. The striker looked angrily at the stands after apparently being sprayed by the liquid thrown from above. Sturridge had missed two clear chances as Roy Hodgson's team failed to record a win ahead of Saturday's Group D opener against Italy.
Hodgson said: "It was one of the most frustrating games I've been involved in." The match was delayed for 43 minutes when Salazar took the players off the field for their own safety as an electrical storm struck. Salazar said he had no choice to but to withdraw the players because of a local rule which stipulates a delay when there is lightning within an eight-mile radius of the stadium.  - Jason Burt, for The Guardian, Sunday, 8 June 2014
 

Source Notes