World Cup Qualifier
Att. 87,319Entrance: £43.90
Programme: £6
Mileage: 100/2,402
Match Report
England needed no 999 calls last night as Croatia were swept to one side by a stunning World Cup qualification performance. The ninth day, of the ninth month, of the ninth year will long be remembered as the day that England booked their ticket for South Africa, extracted the ultimate revenge on their nemesis of 2008, but most fondly for the day that Fabio Capello’s side produced a style and a result for the world to sit up and take notice.
Two years ago on this blog I reproduced a classic Sun front cover, a burst ball lying in the gutter, as a disastrous defeat was leapt all other by the national press, it is only fair that today’s Sun gets reproduced to redress the balance. Gone is the Wally with the Brolly, in his place, Fabio with the Bolly. The Italian with the misfiring English is now talking our language and the nation is taking notice and that will create Capello’s next problem, managing our expectations. We go to every World Cup Finals with misguided hopes, the cart goes in front of the horse and we are always left disappointed. Will those expectations be different this time? Probably not, and mainly because we are good, very good.A noisy Croatian contingent produced an atmosphere that was reminiscent of November 2007 and a nervous apprehension to match. Missing was the rain and a man with an umbrella. Nerves were dispelled as England produced a first 20 minutes that blew away the opposition. The first time that Aaron Lennon was given the ball and the opportunity to run at an absolutely useless Nikola Pokrivac we knew that this game was there for the taking. An early penalty appeal was denied before Lennon attacked the box once more to be scythed down by Simunic. Frank Lampard despatched the penalty and we sensed that we were about to witness something special.
For Aaron Lennon read Theo Walcott in Zagreb a year ago. On that day Croatia had no answer to the Arsenal flyer, last night his North London counterpart terrorised the hapless Croats. On 18 minutes he ran once again at his bemused full back who backed off giving Lennon space to float a cross to the far post for Steven Gerrard to easily head home. An attempted chant of Easy, Easy was stifled as, perhaps like myself, images of Carson diving over balls and that damn umbrella remained set in the brain.
Chances came and went with reckless abandon for the rest of the half. Emile Heskey, who did a good job as the target man, he linked well, drew fouls in dangerous places, but in front of goal, oh dear, oh dear. Lampard shot over, Barry drew a good save from Vedran Runje, it would be no exaggeration to say that England should have been five clear by the break, but they wasn’t and an early second half goal for Croatia would resurrect the nerves.
The useless Pokrivac made way for Ivan Rakitic and for a spell Croatia looked to be making their way back into the game. They had a penalty appeal, one that, as is said, “seen them given” and Green was actually forced into a save, before a Glen Johnson cross was met by Lampard to add a third. On 66 minutes, the cries of Easy, Easy were able to start in earnest. Wayne Rooney chased a lost cause to the bye-line, brilliantly hooked the ball back to Gerrard who did superbly to direct a soaring header for a fourth.
Much has been said and written about Glen Johnson’s abilities as an international full back. Last night for the most part he had a good game. His forte has always been his forward play but with question marks against his defending. On 73 minutes he allowed Rakitic too much room to deliver a cross and despite Robert Green’s best efforts saving first from Srna before Eduardo finally scored. Such is Capello’s intensity that despite the four goal advantage, his mannerisms showed he was furious that once again England had failed to complete a clean sheet.
Vedrun Runje aided and abetted England’s nap hand with a rick of Paul Robinson in Zagreb proportions when he miskicked a back pass directly to Rooney who was almost embarrassed to shoot into the empty goal. It was hilarious, but for Runje and for Croatia it was in keeping with the evening, it was humiliating.
Such was the ease of the proceedings the celebrations of reaching the World Cup Finals, at the earliest opportunity ever achieved by an England side were fairly muted, certainly nothing like the way qualification for 2002 was greeted at Old Trafford following Beckham’s goal against Greece. But I guess this is Capello’s way, nothing has been achieved . . . yet.
Capello is the man. Who talks these days about whether Lampard and Gerrard can play together, last night they were magnificent. Beckham might still be there, hovering on the bench, but on the right hand side we have a wealth of talent, all of them flyers, and what was unfulfilled potential in Lennon, Wright-Phillips, Walcott (add in Milner and Young on the other flank) is beginning to blossom. Can Heskey, wasteful in front of goal, continue to lead the line on the strength of being a fulcrom for better, dare I say, world-class players, Capello will decide on his merits against that of the free-scoring Jermain Defoe and I for one am absolutely convinced his decision will be validated.
Big decisions of our own need to be made now qualification is secure. I don’t think either of us have the stomach to turn our backs on the opportunity to go to South Africa next year. Air fare and hotel room prices are rising rapidly, daily, but cash cannot be allowed to deter us, after all we are going to win the World Cup. STOP IT!
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