England Football Online
Results 2010-2015                          Page Last Updated 11 October 2014

San Marino

 
917 vs. San Marino
 
previous match
(31 days)

936 vs. Switzerland
 
937
next match (3 days)
938 vs. Estonia

945 vs. San Marino
Thursday, 9 October 2014
2016 UEFA European Championship Group E qualification match


England 5 San Marino 0 [2-0]
 


The National Stadium connected by EE, Wembley, Brent, Greater London
Kick-off (BST): 7.45pm
Attendance: 55,990

93 minutes 46:03 & 47:02 San Marino kicked-off
[1-0] Phil Jagielka header 24 23:54
 
beat Simoncini to a header on the 6 yard line from James Milner cross after a Sterling corner
[2-0] Wayne Rooney penalty 43 42:42
 right-footed powerful kick out of keeper's left reach
(Selva fouled Rooney 41:46; awarded 41:49)
 
 [3-0] Danny Welbeck 49 48:45
 beat Simoncini to a 3-yard tap after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlian closed down the ball and crossed from the goalline
[3-0] Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain shot in off Lallana's heels - wrongly disallowed for offside
62
[4-0] Andros Townsend 72 71:18
 left-footed shot low into near post from corner of the penalty area, lay-off by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
[5-0] Alessandro Della Velle own goal 77 76:54
 
Rooney's cross hit Della Velle's chest to deflect it past Simoncini
 
James Milner 37 36:42
Andy Selva
42 41:55
  Danilo Rinaldi 90 89:12
Commentator: Clive Tyldesley with Andy Townsend
 

Match Summary

Officials from Poland

England Squad

Type

San Marino Squad
Referee (yellow) - Marcin Filip Borski
41 (13 April 1973), Warzsaw, FIFA listed 2006.

Assistant Referees - Rafal Rostkowski, 42 (6 September 1972), and Marcin Boniek.
Fourth official - Krzysztof Myrmus (1974).

Additional Assistant Referees - Bartosz Frankowski
, 38 (26 September 1986), and Tomasz Wajda, 34 (17 May 1980).
UEFA Referee Observer - Robert Sedlacek
, Austria

51 Goal Attempts 3
34 Attempts on Target 1
0 Hit Bar/Post 0
16 Corner Kicks Won 0
7 Offside Calls Against 0
14 Fouls Conceded 11
78% Possession 22%

England Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (18 Sept 2014) 18th
EFO ranking Group 3
ELO rating =11th
Colours: The Nike 2014 home uniform - White v-necked jerseys with shadowed pinstripes and silvery white trim, white shorts with silvery white trim, white socks.
Capt: Wayne Rooney
(fifth (22) captaincy (4))
Manager: Roy Hodgson, 67 (9 August 1947), appointed 1 May 2012,
34th match, W 18 - D 11 - L 5 - F 66 - A 27.
England Lineup
1 Hart, C. Joseph J. 27
173 days
19 April 1987 G Manchester City FC 46 33ᵍᵃ
2 Chambers, Calum 19
262 days
20 January 1995 RB Arsenal FC 2 0
3 Gibbs, Kieran J.R. 25
13 days
26 September 1989 LB Arsenal FC 4 0
4 Henderson, Jordan B., off 46th min 24
114 days
17 June 1990 RM Liverpool FC 16 0
5 Cahill, Gary J. 28
294 days
19 December 1985 CD Chelsea FC 30 3
the 107th player to reach the 30-app milestone
6 Jagielka, Philip N. 32
53 days
17 August 1982 CD Everton FC 31 3
27th goal vs. San Marino, first def. to score
     
7
Milner, James P. 28
278 days
4 January 1986 DM Manchester City FC 51 1
Milner cautioned in the 37th min. for Unsporting Behaviour for a foul, after a mistimed tackle on M.Vitaioli in the centre of the field.
8 Wilshere, Jack A.G. 22
281 days
1 January 1992 LM/DM Arsenal FC 23 0
9 Welbeck, Daniel N.T.M., off 66th min. 23
320 days
26 November 1990 LF Arsenal FC 29 11
10 Rooney, Wayne M. 28
353 days
24 October 1985 RF Manchester United FC 98 41 ³
the 76th penalty kick scored, 8th in-a-row
     
11 Sterling, Raheem S., off 46th min 19
305 days
8 December 1994
in Kingston, Jamaica
AM Liverpool FC 10 0
England Substitutes
scoreline: England 2 San Marino 0
17 Lallana, Adam D., on 46th min. for Sterling 26
152 days
10 May 1988 AM Liverpool FC 10 5 0
the 67th Liverpool player to represent England 5
18
Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alexander M.D., on 46th min. for Henderson 21
55 days
15 August 1993 LM Arsenal FC 17 9 3
8
scoreline: England 3 San Marino 0
19 Townsend, Andros D., on 66th min. (65:20) for Welbeck 23
85 days
16 July 1991 CM Tottenham Hotspur FC 6 3 2
77th goal scored by an England substitute 3
     
result: England 5 San Marino 0
unused substitutes: 12-Nathanial Clyne, 13-Ben Foster, 14-Leighton Baines, 15-Fabian Delph, 16-Jonjo Shelvey, 20-Rickie Lambert, 21-Fraser Forster.
team notes: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's father, Mark Chamberlain, also played for England (1982-84).

records:

England have now gone 21 qualification matches unbeaten (W14 D7).
The 24th goal scored by a substitute in qualification history.
The fifteenth goal by a substitute at the new National Stadium.
Wayne Rooney has scored a record fifteen goals at the National Stadium. His goal was also the one hundredth scored by England on a Thursday.
 
4-4(1-2-1)-2 Hart -
Chambers, Cahill, Jagielka, Gibbs -
Milner -
Henderson
(Oxlade-Chamberlain), Wilshere -
Sterling
(Lallana) -
Rooney, Welbeck
(Townsend) -
Wilshire played at the base of the diamond for the second half, Oxlade-Chamberlain out on the left
Averages (Starting XI): Age 25 years 223 days Appearances/Goals 30.9 5.2

 

San Marino Team

 

Rank:

FIFA (18 Sept 2014) =208th
EFO ranking n/a
ELO rating 206th
Colours: Made by Adidas - Blue crew neck jerseys with white underarm panel/front collar/Adidas sleeve trim, blue shorts with white hem and Adidas side trim, blue socks with white Adidas trim.
Capt: Andy Selva Manager: Pier Angelo Manzaroli, 45 (25 March 1969 in Italy), appointed 15 February 2014.
3rd match, W 0 - D 0 - L 3 - F 0 - A 10.
San Marino Lineup
1 Simoncini, Aldo J. 28
40 days
30 August 1986 G AC Libertas 40 173ᵍᵃ
2 Palazzi, Mirko, off 74th min. 27
202 days
21 March 1987
in Rimini, Italy
RB San Marino Calcio 16 0
3 Battistini, Manuel 20
79 days
22 July 1994 LB AC Juvenes/Dogana 5 0
4 Vitaioli, Fabio 30
187 days
5 April 1984 CD SS Murata 35 0
5 Brolli, Cristian 22
223 days
28 February 1992 CD SS Folgore Falciano Calcio 5 0
6 Delle Valle, Alessandro 32
123 days
 
8 June 1982
 
CD
 
SS Folgore Falciano Calcio
 
50
 
1
 
the 51st own goal scored for England
only player to score two own goals for England
  
7 Hirsch, Adolfo José 28
251 days
31 January 1986
in Pergamino Partido, Argentina
RF SS Folgore Falciano Calcio 3 0
8 Chiaruzzi, Nicola 26
288 days
25 December 1987 CM SP Tre Penne 3 0
9 Tosi, Luca, off 63rd min. 21
339 days
4 November 1992 RM SS Folgore Falciano Calcio 3 0
10 Selva, Andy, off 87th min. 38
137 days
25 May 1976 LF SP La Fiorita
 
67 8
42nd min. for an unsuccessful overhead kick that caught Rooney's face. PENALTY most apps most gls
     
11 Vitaioli, Matteo G. 24
347 days
27 October 1989 LM FC Fiorentino 33 0
San Marino Substitutes
scoreline: England 3 San Marino 0
16 Gasperoni, Lorenzo, on 63rd min. (62:10) for Tosi 24
279 days
3 January 1990 RM AC Juvenes/Dogana 3 0
scoreline: England 4 San Marino 0
19 Buscarini, Lorenzo, on 74th min. (73:02) for Palazzi 23
135 days
27 May 1991 RB SS Murata 10 0
scoreline: England 5 San Marino 0
17 Rinaldi, Danilo E.28, on 87th min. (86:05) for Selva 28
174 days
18 April 1986
in San Nicol�s, Argentina
CF
 
SP La Fiorita
 
17
 
1
 
90th min. after he crudely brought down James Milner on the touchline
     
result: England 5 San Marino 0
unused substitutes: 12-Elia Benedettini, 13-Davide Cesarini, 14-Michele Cervellini, 15-Mattia Stefanelli, 18-Enrico Golinucci, 20-Alex Gasperoni, 21-Carlo Valentini, 22-Pier Filippo Mazza, 23-Giacomo Muraccini.
team notes: The Vitaioli's are brothers.
records: San Marino have now failed to score in an away competitive match since March 2001.
Head Coach Pier Angelo Manazaroli, appeared for San Marino 38 times, played against England in the two 1993 matches.
 
5-3-2 Simoncini -
Palazzi
(Buscarini), F.Vitailo, Delle Valle, Brolli, Battistini -
Tosi
(Gasperoni), Chiaruzzi, M.Vitaioli -
Hirsch, Selva
(Rinaldi)
Averages (Starting XI): Age 27 years 170 days Appearances/Goals 23.6 0.9

 

    Match Report by Mike Payne

When England have to play these sort of games, they really are on a hiding to nothing, and they can't win whatever they do.  If they win easily with a big score, then it was all that was expected of them.  Anything less than a big win and they are pilloried from all quarters!  Such was the situation when San Marino once again visited Wembley.  The group minnows, and I do mean minnows, were there for the taking, and all England had to do to win was to turn up it would seem.  But that is not how it works and England prepared in the same professional manner as though they were playing against Germany.  The players had to do a job, and that is exactly what happened.

Right from the kick-off possession was almost continuously England's, and they began by playing from side to side, trying to find gaps in what was a blanket defence from San Marino.  The first chance fell to Wayne Rooney and the skipper's shot was saved by goalkeeper Aldo Simoncini.  Almost immediately Danny Welbeck saw a shot deflected wide and even after just ten minutes it was easy to see the pattern of this particular match.  On 15 minutes it was Raheem Sterling who almost broke the deadlock, before being flagged offside.  The minutes ticked by with England probing from side to side trying to break through.  When the players turned inside, as they invariably did, they were crowded out by the massed ranks of the San Marino eleven.

Rooney, lively throughout, forced another good save from Simoncini and then the goalkeeper made a fine save, tipping Sterling's effort around a post after the winger had latched on to a long through ball.  The 24th minute corner that resulted from Sterling's shot finally brought England the breakthrough they needed to settle the nerves.  James Milner's corner was met by Phil Jagielka, and his header only had to be on target to score.  It was.  The goalkeeper had come out and tripped over the leg of Luca Tosi, who was back trying to help his defence.  Simoncini was lying on the turf as Jagielka's header went in.

If there was any criticism of England during this first half hour it was in the fact that the build-up was slow and laborious, and that gave the visitors ample time to regroup in defence.  On 28 minutes though, a good move involving Kieron Gibbs, Welbeck and Jordan Henderson ended with another shot desperately blocked.

Milner, playing a crucial role in the diamond shape Roy Hodgson was using, was very careless with some of his passing, as were some other England players.  It was all too easy for England and this led to some lackadaisical play at times. en then though, the chances still came thick and fast.  Gary Cahill missed a header from Milner's free-kick, Jack Wilshere and Welbeck both should have done better when Henderson sent in a good cross and then both Sterling and Henderson had runs blocked.  Milner compounded his poor performance so far with a needless booking on 36 minutes and then six minutes later Simoncini made a superb save from Welbeck's header, somehow scooping the ball out for a corner.

From the corner kick though, England were given a chance to add to their one goal.  The ball bobbed about in the area and as Rooney went for a header he almost had his head kicked off by the flying dangerous boot of Andy Selva.  The referee quite rightly awarded a penalty kick.  Rooney lashed home his shot to take him to 42 goals, now within two of Jimmy Greaves in the England goalscoring list.

So the half ended with England totally in control, two goals up, but not entirely convincing and as the second half started Hodgson replaced Henderson and Sterling with Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as he tried to seek something a little different.  To the manager's credit his changes had an immediate effect.  The two players sent on showed a more positive approach and both were soon involved in dangerous attacks.  San Marino went from being rather comfortable in defence to being stretched and a little more ragged.

On 49 minutes Oxlade-Chamberlain won the ball on the right-wing and strode to the bye-line.  He pulled the ball back and Welbeck was in like a shot to beat the keeper to the ball and fire home number three.  England at this stage were rampant and Rooney had a header saved, Welbeck won a corner and Oxlade-Chamberlain saw a fine shot go just wide.  Milner was still giving the ball away far too easily but Wilshere was now finding his passing range.  On 58 minutes a fine pass by Rooney gave Oxlade-Chamberlain a headed chance, which the keeper saved.  Three minutes later and Wilshere picked out Rooney with the pass of the night, only for the skipper to under-hit his attempted lob.  Almost immediately England did find the net again as Oxlade-Chamberlain's shot was deflected past Simoncini by Lallana.  The referee at first gave a goal but then disallowed it after consulting a linesman.  The joy of scoring his first international goal was obvious on Lallana's face, until the decision changed and the Liverpool player was left disappointed.  Surely though, that goal will eventually come.

As the game went into the final third it was all one-way traffic.  Andros Townsend came on for Welbeck and he set up Wilshere for a header, again saved by the overworked keeper.  Another fine pass by Wilshere sent Rooney through again, but Simoncini saved again, and then, on 72 minutes, came the best goal of the night.  Townsend received possession from Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right, cut inside, and unleashed a fine left-foot shot that beat the keeper at his near post.  A minute later, to ironic cheers, Joe Hart had to make his first save of the night, in fact it was almost his only meaningful touch.

Lallana tried again to break his duck, but the keeper saved and then a series of one-two's almost led to another chance, alas it was scrambled clear.  The pressure was now relentless and with 13 minutes to go Rooney tried to centre from the right only to see the ball glance off Alessandro Delle Valle's chest and wide of his unfortunate keeper for an own goal.  Still the chances came in waves and Rooney could have easily had five or six on the night.  A volley went wide and another header was saved.  Then yet another header was saved, after Gibbs had a shot blocked, and Rooney again shot wide before Townsend hit another screamer that was cleared off the line by Christian Brolli.

And that was about it.  England had over 50 attempts at goal, with 34 on target.  On another  it could have been a record score!  All credit to Hodgson and his players, the manager for his substitutions and the players for doing exactly what they had to do.  Now it was on to Tallin and the next match against Estonia.
   

Source Notes

TheFA.com
BBC Sport
UEFA.com
RateTheRef.com

FSGC.sm
Smtvsanmarino.sm/sport

Mike Payne - football historian and contributor
cg