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Match
Summary |
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Officials
from Spain |
England |
Type |
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Croatia |
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Referee
(yellow)
-
Alberto Undiano Mallenco
35 (8 October 1973),
Pamplona, FIFA-listed 2004.
Assistant
Referees -
Fermin Martinez,
43 (4 July 1966) and Juan Carlos Yuste Jimenez, 33
(25 September 2009).
Fourth official - Carlos Clos
Gómez, 37 (30 June 1972), Zaragoza. |
12 |
Goal Attempts |
11 |
9 |
Attempts on Target |
5 |
0 |
Hit Bar/Post |
0 |
2 |
Corner Kicks Won |
3 |
8 |
Offside Calls Against |
3 |
16 |
Fouls Conceded |
9 |
53.1% |
Possession |
46.9% |
|
England
Team |
|
Rank: |
FIFA (2nd
Sept 2009) 7th
EFO ranking
Group 2
ELO rating 4th |
Colours: |
The
2009 home uniform
- Plain white collared jerseys, plain white shorts, plain
white socks. |
Capt: |
John Terry, 26th captaincy |
Manager: |
Fabio Capello,
63 (18 June 1946), appointed 14 December 2007, effective 7 January 2008,
18th match, W 14 - D 2 - L 2 - F 50 - A 15. |
England
Lineup |
1 |
Green, Robert P. |
29 |
18 January 1980 |
G |
West Ham United FC |
7 |
6ᵍᵃ |
2 |
Johnson, Glen M. |
25 |
23 August 1984 |
RB |
Liverpool FC |
18 |
0 |
3 |
Cole,
Ashley |
28 |
20 December 1980 |
LB |
Chelsea FC |
76 |
0 |
4
|
Gerrard, Steven G., off 80th min. |
29 |
30 May 1980 |
LM |
Liverpool FC |
76 |
16 |
the 333rd
(200th post-war) brace scored |
5 |
Upson, Matthew
J. |
30 |
18 April 1979 |
CD |
West Ham United FC |
17 |
1 |
6 |
Terry, John G. |
28 |
7 December 1980 |
CD |
Chelsea FC |
56 |
6 |
Terry cautioned in the 85th minute for unsporting
behaviour for a foul on Klasnić. |
7 |
Lennon, Aaron J.,
off 80th min. |
22 |
16 April 1987 |
RM |
Tottenham Hotspur FC |
13 |
0 |
8
|
Lampard,
Frank J. |
31 |
20 June 1978 |
CM |
Chelsea FC |
74 |
19
(5) |
the 68th penalty kick scored
the 332nd
(199th post-war) brace scored |
9 |
Heskey, Emile W.I., off 59th min |
31 |
11 January 1978 |
F |
Aston Villa
FC |
56 |
7 |
10 |
Rooney, Wayne M. |
23 |
24 October 1985 |
F |
Manchester United FC |
55 |
24 |
11 |
Barry, Gareth |
28 |
23 February 1981 |
CM |
Manchester City FC |
33 |
2 |
England
Substitutes |
scoreline: England 3 Croatia 0 |
16 |
Defoe, Jermain C., on 59th min. for Heskey |
26 |
7 October 1982 |
F |
Tottenham Hotspur FC |
37 |
11 |
scoreline: England 5 Croatia 1 |
17 |
Beckham, David R.J., on 80th min. for Lennon |
34 |
2 May 1975 |
RM |
LA Galaxy, United States |
114 |
17 |
15 |
Milner, James
P., on 80th
min. for Gerrard |
23 |
4 January 1986 |
LM |
Aston Villa
FC |
3 |
0 |
scoreline: England 5 Croatia 1 |
unused
substitutes: |
12-Ben Foster, 13-Wes
Brown, 14-Wayne Bridge, 18-Peter Crouch. |
team
notes: |
Jermain Defoe comes on as a substitute for a 25th occasion, equalling
the record held by Owen Hargreaves.
Steven Gerrard has now played in a record
fourteen of the fiftteen home matches at the new National Stadium. Gareth Barry
thirteen, and Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole have twelve appearances
each. Wayne Rooney has extended his tally as the record goalscorer
at the new Stadium. However, his eight is just one ahead of Frank
Lampard's, whose tally includes a record three penalty kicks. Frank
Lampard is the first player to score in three consecutive matches at
the Stadium. He has also scored a record five goals against Croatia. |
Coach Fabio Capello played for Italy against England in
June (scoring one) and November 1973 (scoring another), and in May and
November 1976. |
|
4-4-2 |
Green -
Johnson, Terry, Upson, Cole -
Lennon (Beckham), Barry, Lampard, Gerrard (Milner) -
Rooney, Heskey (Defoe). |
Averages (Starting XI): |
Age |
27.6 |
Appearances/Goals |
29.9 |
6.5 |
|
|
Croatia
Team |
|
Rank: |
FIFA (2nd
Sept 2009) 9th
EFO ranking
Group 5
ELO rating 8th |
Colours: |
Made by Nike -
Blue v-neck jerseys with red collar and red & white chequered side
panels, blue shorts, blue socks with red/white chequered hoop; |
Capt: |
Darijo Srna |
Manager: |
Slaven BIlić, 40 (11 September 1968), appointed 25 July 2006.
35th match, W 24 - D 7 - L 4 - F 70 - A 34. |
Croatia
Lineup |
1 |
Runje, Vedran |
33 |
10 February 1976 |
G |
RC de Lens, France |
10 |
0 |
2 |
Pokrivač,
Nikola,
off 46th min. |
23 |
26 November 1985 |
CM |
FC Red Bull Salzburg, Austria |
8 |
0 |
3 |
Šimunić,
Josip |
31 |
18 February 1979
born in Australia |
CD |
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Germany |
74 |
3 |
Šimunić cautioned in the 44th minute for unsporting
behaviour for a foul on Heskey. |
4 |
Krizanac,
Ivića |
30 |
13 April 1979 |
CD |
FC Zenit Sankt-Petersburg,
Russia |
8 |
0 |
5 |
Vukojević,
Ognjen |
25 |
20 December 1983 |
CM |
FC Dynamo Kyiv,
Russia |
16 |
1 |
6 |
Pranjić, Danijel |
26 |
2 December 1981 |
RB |
FC Bayern München,
Germany |
25 |
0 |
7 |
Mandzukić,
Mario |
23 |
21 May 1986 |
LM |
NK Dinamo Zagreb |
8 |
1 |
8 |
Kranjčar,
Niko |
25 |
13 August 1984 |
RM |
Tottenham Hotspur FC, England |
51 |
7 |
9 |
da Silva,
Eduardo A., off 73rd min. |
26 |
25 February 1983
born in Brazil |
F |
Arsenal FC,
England |
27 |
16 |
10 |
Olić, Ivića,
off 46th min. |
28 |
14 September 1979 |
F |
FC Bayern München,
Germany |
67 |
13 |
11 |
Srna, Darijo |
27 |
1 May 1982 |
LB |
FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine |
68 |
17 |
Croatia
Substitutes |
scoreline: England 2 Croatia 0 |
10 |
Petrić, Mladen, on 46th min. for Olić |
28 |
1 January 1981 |
F |
Hamburger SV, Germany |
35 |
11 |
7 |
Rakitić,
Ivan, on 46th min. for Pokrivač |
21 |
10 March 1988
born in Switzerland |
M |
FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, Germany |
22 |
7 |
scoreline: England 3 Croatia 0 |
17 |
Klasnić, Ivan, on 73rd min. for Eduardo |
29 |
29 January 1980
born in West Germany |
F |
Bolton Wanderers FC, England, on
loan from
FC de
Nantes,
France
|
36 |
11 |
result: England 5 Croatia 1 |
unused
substitutes: |
1-Danijel
Subašić,
2-Dino Drpić,
5-Hrvoje
Čale,
14-Jerko Leko. |
Coach Slaven BIlić played for Croatia against England in April 1996. |
|
4-4-2 |
Runje -
Pranjić, Šimunić, Krizanac, Srna
-
Kranjčar,
Pokrivač (Rakitić),
Vukojević, Mandzukić
-
Olić (Petrić),
Eduardo (Klasnić). |
Averages (Starting XI): |
Age |
27.0 |
Appearances/Goals |
32.4 |
5.2 |
|
|
Match Report
by Mike Payne |
All the pre-match questions as to whether England could qualify
for the World Cup against Croatia were answered emphatically with
a scintillating performance at Wembley. England are most
definitely on their way to South Africa!
Right from the first whistle England were
on their game. They pressed the Croatians into their own half and
all the home players looked full of determination and running. It
took just seven minutes to unlock the visiting defence. Aaron
Lennon's pace had already frightened the Croatians and when the
Tottenham winger cut inside across the edge of the box Josip
Simonic's clumsy challenge gave the referee his easiest decision
of the night. Penalty! Up stepped Frank Lampard with an exact
replica of his penalty goal against Slovenia four days earlier.
That was just the start England wanted, but
they did not take their foot off the pedal for a moment and in the
first half alone they could have scored six goals. Steven Gerrard
headed Wayne Rooney's cross over, Gareth Barry hit a screamer that
was very well saved by Vedran Runje, diving to his right, and then
on seventeen minutes Gerrard's pass found Lennon on the right and
his cross to the far post was met by the incoming Liverpool
captain who scored with a glorious header to make it 2-0.
The opening twenty minutes had been superb
by England and Fabio Capello saw all his work pay off as the
players carried out his instructions to the letter. The visitors
did come into the game for a while after going two goals down but
England were still in control. Gareth Barry was outstanding in
his midfield role, intercepting, making good tackles, supporting
the attack and always making himself available for his
colleagues. Croatia could not create anything by way of a goal
attempt and Rob Green had an easy half. On 27 minutes Frank
Lampard hit a 35 yard free-kick, which again the goalkeeper did
well to claw away. Rooney then cleverly put Lennon clear but the
goalkeeper just managed a touch to stop his shot and if Emile
Heskey's touch had been better he too would have scored following
another good attack.
Croatia had no answer as the England
players snapped at their every move, with the nearest home player
taking on the man in possession. It was tremendous stuff and the
crowd loved it. On 38 minutes Gerrard had another chance down the
left as he broke clear and he should have finished better. Still
the chances kept coming, on 42 minutes Heskey should have scored
but took his eye off the ball believing he was offside, which he
wasn't. A minute later and Heskey set up Lampard who completely
fluffed his shot. Just before the break Lampard returned the
compliment by setting up Heskey, but again the big forward missed
a golden chance. The England players were deservedly given a
standing ovation as they went off at half-time, and they could
have been out of sight if they had taken all their chances.
After the break Croatia brought on two
substitutes and for ten minutes they did look a little livelier,
keeping possession well and making England work hard. But after
58 minutes England scored the goal that settled the match, and it
was another cracker. Lennon was again involved, passing to
Gerrard who, in turn, found Glen Johnson down the right wing.
Some tricky footwork and a wonderful cross saw the ball met by a
deft header from that man Lampard again. Eight minutes later and
England went 4-0 up as Gerrard, Barry and Rooney combined for
Rooney to cross into the middle where Gerrard followed up to score
with another fine header.
It was the 69th minute when
Croatia had their first shot on target, Nico Kranjcar's shot
easily saved by Green, and just as England were congratulating
themselves on a tight defensive performance they conceded a goal. Johnson had played really well at right-back but once again he was
turned to easily by the winger attacking down the left. The cross
came in and Green made a fabulous diving save to his left to keep
out Eduardo Da Silva's header. The ball spun loose and Green
again saved well, this time from Mario Mandzukic, but
unfortunately for the goalkeeper Eduardo was able to pounce on the
second rebound to score from close range. If Green was annoyed,
you should have seen Capello's reaction! He was furious.
But that one blemish on the night's
entertainment was forgiven when England made it 5-1 on 76
minutes. This time the Croatians, or more specifically goalkeeper
Runje, gifted England another goal. Runje tried to kick clear a
backpass and only succeeded in giving Rooney the easiest of
chances to score his ninth goal of the campaign. It was a shame
for Runje who had earlier made some fine saves. But there was no
denying England as they thoroughly deserved their win after a
sparkling all round team performance, the best the new Wembley has
seen so far. A great night!
|
Source Notes |
BBC Sport
TheFA.com
ITV.com/football
UEFA.com
RateTheRef.com
Mike Payne - football historian and contributor
____________________
CG
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