By AVI CREDITOR
Wednesday's friendlies provided a glimpse into the progress of Group C's teams, and the results showed a bit of vulnerability for two of the United States' opponents.
England fell behind by a goal before rallying for a 3-1 victory over Egypt. Peter Crouch netted a brace, and Shaun Wright-Phillips scored the game-winner in the 75th minute. Neither player started for the Three Lions.
The Pharaohs silenced the Wembley Stadium crowd with Mohamed Zidan's 23rd-minute strike from the edge of the box, but Crouch knotted the score with a 56th-minute goal. He added another in the 80th minute, giving Fabio Capello something to think about when he names his starting strikers for the World Cup.
As for the other two teams in Group C:
Up-and-down Algeria was embarrassed on its home soil by Group D-member Serbia, falling 3-0. Marko Pantelic opened the scoring in the 16th minute, and Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Zoran Tosic netted second-half goals against the Desert Foxes.
Slovenia eased to a 4-1 win over Qatar, grabbing a 3-0 lead by the 34th minute. Goals were scored by Milivoje Novakovic, Bostjan Cesar, Andraz Kirm and Bojan Jokic. Not a whole lot can be gathered from this result, as Qatar, 92nd in the latest FIFA rankings, isn't the strongest of opponents.
In other Wednesday friendlies of interest:
- Mexico downed New Zealand 2-0 at the Rose Bowl behind goals from Javier Hernandez and Carlos Vela.
- Argentina silenced Germany 1-0 on a breakaway goal from Gonzalo Higuain.
- Spain outclassed France 2-0 on strikes from David Villa and Sergio Ramos.
- Italy was held to a scoreless draw by Cameroon.
- Future U.S.-friendly opponents Turkey and Czech Republic split their results, as Turkey downed Honduras 2-0 and the Czechs fell to Scotland 1-0.
- Senegal surprised Greece 2-0.
- African powers Ghana and Ivory Coast both were beaten, with the Black Stars falling to Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-1 and the Elephants losing to South Korea 2-0.
- World Cup-host South Africa drew with Namibia 1-1.
What do you make of England, Algeria and Slovenia after their performances on Wednesday? Do you not read much into friendly results? What score surprised you the most?
Share your thoughts below.
intents and purposes… geez
Hence my Ha, Ha, Ha….I know its easier to rack up Caps for the US team than it is for the European national teams. We don’t have the depth. So a good player with the US team will almost always get high Cap numbers.
lol patrick. WRONG
You aren’t making sense. In the same paragraph that you call Zamora an “average striker”, you say “he looks to be fully a force to deal with ala (sic) Drogba”. Since Drogba is one of the 2 or 3 best strikers in the world, someone like him would hardly be “average”.
Nonsense. Bobby Z would be thrilled to be called by England. If Cappello wanted him, he could have made it happen.
..when we go out dancing, chest-to-cheek….
Point taken, and I do think the team played a gutsy game on the whole. I’m just sayin that the other countries in our group weren’t the only ones who struggled.
please. Our team was only in the game for a few minutes when Holland mailed it in. For all intensive purposes, it was a really poorly played game for their standards. You clearly didn’t watch the game, did you?
That picture is awesome. Daddy, Daddy give the spinner again. Please. Please.
Not me. He will do fine in this upcoming world cup but the US will be lucky to scrap out a 1-0 win out of Slovenia. People forget that Slovenia knocked Russia out of the world cup and play extremely defensive. It will be hard for any whole team to score two against them let alone 3 by one player. Plus Jozy has not shown much Goal scoring prowess lately. He can be as flashy as hell but if you are the starting striker all that counts is the score sheet. He had that hat trick against the all powerful T&T at home and that is it. Even in the EPL he only has one goal in like 20 games.
I’ll lead…
No, I’ll lead…
How come you always get to play the girl? No fair!
You are right because England never plays C list opponents.
Not every ‘real’ cap comes in the Euros.
I’m backing Altidore to score a hat-trick against Slovenia. Who will back this?
Way to go Captain America. Boca has to start. He always finds a way to score a goal.
brilliant!!!!
@patrick, Zamora is better than Heskey? Hmm Heskey has always outscored him when it comes to playing in the PL. Yet both are horrible. Heskey scored at a World Cup unlike Zamora. Heskey has regained some top form over the last year but still bad. Zamora is riding his peak but doesn’t make him even good enough for the England B team.
Interesting that Mexico has leapfrogged the US in the latest FIFA rankings released yesterday.
Whose our tallest field player and our shortest and what are our average heights for field players? I wonder if they are similar to those in England? I know Spain has a ton of attacking players who are 5’7. Denmark and the Netherlands both seem to have tons of 6’3 and 6’4 defenders.
you’re ingorant at best. Zamoras form this year, is the best of any of his “competitors: ie) hold up, taller forwards. Capello has said he wants a tall guy and a little guy. Zamora is better than crouch, no doubt. He’s been a monster this year for Fulham and deserved a call up. I”m not saying he would or should start, but he deserves a shot
Rooney probably could be a solo striker and make it work but could England? I sure think so. Rooney could have either Lampard/Gerrard supporting him in a 4-3-2-1 or with Gerrard supporting him and Lampard/Lennon on the wings in a 4-2-3-1.
either way it’d be tons better than Heskey. Yes he’s the Bryan Ching of England. His job is to hold up the ball and bring his teammates into the game. That’s so great of him as a team player but he doesn’t score goals nor does he give assists. He has potential but never gains anything from it. Carlton Cole is much better at this role.
Sweden is currently facing a lack of worthy strikers. Their legend Henrik Larsson recently retired from the game. Zlatan is currently considering retiring to focus on Barca. Their number 1 striker at the moment is Johan Elmander. Yep, that guy. Scored 5 goals for Bolton last season and 2 this season. Bryan Ching could give him a run for his money. Young strikers like Marcus Berg and Ola Toivoinen are Sweden’s best bet as they showed they can score goals in Holland and for the u-21 team.
@Honey, Donovan played in a ton of C list friendlies as well plus I believe his Olympics tournaments are counted and the Gold Cup every 2 years.
I’m not knocking his record amount of matches but it’s not as if he was playing in the European Championship or so. His 100+ caps equal probably like 70-80 real caps if you compare to a Torres, Gerrard or Messi.
I honestly don’t understand why Capello doesn’t go with a 5 man midfield and have Rooney as a lone striker. Clearly he can handle it.
Zamora is atrocious. He has maybe 8goals in 15 appearances for Fulham. Now considering he had 2 league goals all last season, I can understand people are excited. Plus he looks to be fully a force to deal with ala Drogba. Also Fulham hasn’t had a regular goal scoring striker since Saha left 6 years ago. McBride was a suitable substitute. All in all Zamora is an average striker and would never start for England.
But wait — he doesn’t score goals!!!
why? because mexico beat NZ?!?! and the US lost to the #3 team?! i see hardly any movement for the US and Mexico.
Unfair. Come on 2-1 to an offensive dynamo like the Netherlands shows vulnerability?
I thought england didn’t look that great, I mean the second england goal was a gaffe by the keeper and the third crouch was ahead of everyone and by vantage point he seemed offside. I’m not sold, we play better d then egypt, with dempsey and a healty donovan, I like are chances.
To win the WC???
Happens here all the time man….Look at Donovan (121 @ 28)…(ha, ha, ha…)
Sorry, But I was trying to be sarcastic
My guess is he’s decided to stick with T&T, for better or worse, or that England decided it was too much hassle to change his registration back.
This criticism of Heskey continually annoys me becase it fundamentally misunderstands his role with England. People don’t criticize Jonathan Spector for not scoring, because that isn’t his role. England has midfielders with a nose for the goal, and another forward whose name you may know who is a scoring machine. Heskey’s role is to take the ball in an advanced position and get it to a place where the other English players can score. He’s like a d-mid who plays way way up the field. Criticizing him for not scoring is like criticizing Tim Howard for not taking throw-ins.
Friendlies are not accounted for in devising in the world rankings
Don’t know why Zamora wasn’t given a run.
Good to see Stevie G captaining England. Good chance of both him and Lampard making it to 100caps. Ferdinand, Ashely Cole and John Terry not so much.
speaking of 100caps. Torres is sure with little to no injuries to have 100 by Euro2012. Can you believe that, 100caps by age 28?
Crouch and Defoe most likely will be super-subs. Capello likes Heskey but he can’t score worth shite. Cole is a better option as a target man with Rooney.
Oh yes brillant pic. England has very tiny players like Lennon – 5’5, Wright-Phillips- 5’4 and Defoe is just 5’6. Some say Rooney is 5’11 but he’s 5’9.
Can we please discuss some of these games like France-Spain, Wales-Sweden, Denmark-Austria?
I hope Crouch forces his way into the England starting lineup because I think Gooch and DeMerit can handle him.
please please Pete do that spin me around
helocopter thing again
How do you see England moving ahead of Spain and Brazil in the FIFA rankings?
Highly doubtful beating New Zealand does that much for Mexico’s ranking and equally unlikely losing to the Netherlands in Amsterdam hurts the US ranking.
This doesn’t mean I believe the rankings, but when results go as the rankings predict, not much happens . . .
I don’t make much of friendlies to be honest. As long as your not completetly dominated. Things are way different when the pressure is on and the match means something.
laugh of the day – thanks.
England will probably move into the top 2 in the FIFA rankings, Mexico in the top 10 and the US should fall into the mid 20’s
“the results showed a bit of vulnerability for two of the United States’ opponents.”
Alas, the day’s results also showed a bit of vulnerability for the U.S.
How many team can really expect to go to holland and do better than 2-1? I think I could comfortably live on betting the Dutch to win every home game in international competition.
When will Tommy Smyth wake up and realize that England while the favorite to win our group is not a favorite to win the WC. If CD9 is healthy I like our chances.
That’s a hilarious photo. Caption contest?