By AVI CREDITOR
Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe each netted goals as England silenced Platinum Stars, a South African club team, 3-0 at Moruleng Stadium.
Fabio Capello took a risk by playing projected World Cup starters, especially in light of all of the recent injuries that have dented other nations' World Cup hopes. Capello was rewarded with an injury-free performance, as the Three Lions didn't suffer any setbacks in their final match before facing the United States on Saturday.
Defoe opened the scoring in the third minute, and Cole and Rooney scored in the second half to cap the victory. Cole was the only England player to play all 90 minutes. Rooney came on at the half as part of 10 substitutions.
Joe Hart and Robert Green split time in goal, but were hardly tested.
What are your thoughts about England's final match before the World Cup? Share your predictions/hopes/thoughts ahead of Saturday's match below.
People like mikeandike are just probably trying to cover their bases. Either the USA wins/draws and he “gets what he wants” or the USA loses and he is shown to be right. It’s quite annoying.
I’m realistic, a win will be difficult, most of all of us realize that. But not many of us are gleefully already writing Post-mortems of the game. It’s quite annoying.
No no no. It’s really important that we whine like a bunch of impudent jerks and rip on our own team until we are certain that the tenor of our contempt echos through every hall in the US training camp. We should get on twitter, facebook, and any means possible to send them disparaging messages that we have no faith in them and that we think they’d be better off letting FIFA ’10 simulate their loss against England and an early crash out of the cup.
How about “a performance like Spain at the Confed Cup?” And England isn’t even as good as Spain, when they have all the best players healthy.
At least the griping about Clark and Bornstein is warranted. Clark looked lost against Turkey and Australia. He was just a body out there. I’d prefer Torres start but I’m ok with Edu too.
here’s my starters for Sat (provided everyone is healthy):
4-4-1-1
Donovan Buddle
Beasely Torres Edu Dempsey
Boca DeMerit Onyewu Cherundolo
Howard
bench: Altidore, Gomez, Holden, Edu, Feilhaber, Beasely, Goodson, Hanemann
get to the half with ENG not scoring. Have Beasely essentially man-mark Rooney and Edu stand tall in the center of the park WITHOUT GETTING CARDED. the longer the game goes goose eggs, the greater the frustration on England’s part and the greater the chances of getting the first goal.
regardless of the score at the half sub Findley for Beasely and move into 4-4-2 with LD on the right and Dempsey on the left, if we’re level or up sub in Bradley for Edu and Altidore for Buddle at 60/65.
It will take a performance of the ages from everyone, but if they slay this giant I like the US for a very deep run.
Some day in the near future, we will miss being the underdogs, winning against expectation. Savior these days, because this nation WILL be a soccer powerhouse.
Just saw that Barry is telling the press he’s out for the USA match. Very interesting.
And LOL at all the hyperventilation about Clark and Bornstein.
I was thinking the same thing Jay. Breaks my heart to see all the interviews with our players who always note the negative naysayers and how they get no respect from ANYONE not even their own fans.
The whole negativity thing before the start of the game is so retarded. Wah…I’m going to tell you how we lose just so I don’t feel as bad during and after the game is over if we lose. Seriously, don’t watch if your gut can’t handle it. Or cop out by going to Nike Town and scoring yourself a Maicon jersey.
“Hasn’t this endless ripping on Bradley and the US gotten tired yet?”
Extremely tired. Add the Bornstein and Gooch ripping and you reach the kind of tired that leads to a coma and indicates blunt force head trauma.
Give the hate a rest for a while guys. At least until the matches are actually played.
Why do you even bother watching with your defeatist attitude?
Brian’s right. He’s been coming into games late because Bradley’s hoping to get his confidence back so that if Boca goes down we’ve something other than an emotional basket case available on the bench.
good point…
tell em.
tell em.
chill! we beat a national team by 2 and looked wretched at times
Then England will be undone by John Terry’s libido. How many WAGs can he sleep with before Saturday?
Ha! I agree Derek…
You negative nancies are all A-holes!!! Writing us off before we even step on the field… i’d love to see ur posts just before the Spain match last year… prob the same shite last year too. What do the guys have to do for you all to get behind them and actually be positive?!
Yes but they are in the business of making money as well, so if anything I think they’d handicap the odds of the losing prospects a bit to entice more betting. With that in mind it’s prolly more like
ENG win 60%
draw 30%
US win 10%
which gives still give the us 2/3 odds on getting a result, right?
EXACTLY! They look awful, and, while we have some issues, the US is looking pretty good in friendlies.
WE NEED TO BE POSITIVE.
I think this is the first WC where we have a chance.
BELIEVE!
How about we wait until after the match to be negative sissymarys eh?
All of us who have been paying attention all know what we’re up against and if you’re right we’ll have plenty of time to b**t off on how bad the team looked on Sunday.
But if you’re wrong I can’t wait to see what you’ll say then.
Bornstein isn’t starting, people. Calm the eff down
you better check yourself before you wreck yourself….I’m not writing what I want to happen, but what is likely to happen, based on quality of opponent and recent US play…
dred that thang baby!
Negative A-holes
Which is why I was a little concerned that Rico was used so long last Sat. I would have preferred to see some more Edu or Torres. Bradley could have been resting either/or–which would means he was keeping those two far from injuries and Rico is simply #3 in that battle.
We, the US that is, will inevitably give up a soft goal or two via a counterattack or poor defending on a lofted ball into the area. That’s been are MO of late and, quite frankly, that’s been our MO against most high quality European sides. With the ailing health of our defense, I think it’s almost a certainty.
If Bob plays too passive a team, I think we play right into England’s hands. Our defense will be under a constant onslaught if we can’t possess the ball and a Bradley / Clark midfield combo all but guarantees that.
Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed. We can dream.
If things play out like that, then the final line should read: “Also, J. Bornstein was not present at the team’s hotel later that night–He was asked to return to LA and was told that further call-ups to the USMNT were no longer in his future at any point”.
All those booking sites are British owned so they are probably biased…
I’d say this is more fair:
England win: 40%
Draw: 30%
US win: 30%
Lennon is a far more dangerous for Boca than SWP, so I hope the latter starts.
Basically, I like the US’s chances if Clark isn’t in the lineup. This is not his game, it is Edu’s. Spain and England are two very different teams, and Clark’s athleticism and physical interventions will not be as effective. After seeing Edu for Rangers and in the past few matches, I can’t fathom his absence.
They beat a South African club team by 3? And should have lost to Japan. And looked like crap against Mexico.
I’m starting to gain more and more confidence for the opener.
I’m not sure, but I think I might actually hate you….
Approximate odds according to booking sites:
England wins: 50%
Draw: 35%
U.S. wins: 15%
Do you guys think this is about right?
http://www.oddschecker.com/football/internationals/world-cup/england-v-usa/win-market
Actually, I’m thinking you should go the whole other way, Gooch. Crazy facial hair is always scary. I say put some extensions in that beard, braid them together and light that sucker on fire like Blackbeard!
It’s hilarious that Rooney could blow a fuse in a glorified training session against a local club side. Guy needs anger management classes.
Hasn’t this endless ripping on Bradley and the US gotten tired yet? Pretty much everything Bradley has done lately has worked out, including taking Findley and Buddle, two moves that few of us, if any, predicted.
We have looked pretty decent in our last two games. We may still lose 3-1 against England, but these types of comments are starting to earn my wrath.
Also, if we are assuming that the Stubborn Bob Bradley is going to show up, then he won’t make any subs until minute 65 or so.
You take that back! Positive thoughts people!
(although I think this scenario has a 40% chance of coming to fruition)…
True That. USA will beat England kind of like they beat Spain.
Rooney got booked for arguing with the referee? Two ways to think about that. One is that he is an ultracompetative badass who would beat you over the head to win a Bingo game, or the other is that he is wound too freaking tight and could unravel if we snip the right seam on Saturday.
or both.
I think this is pretty close to dead-on with these exceptions –
1. The second goal is an own goal by Gooch; and
2. The third goal is Rooney’s second, not DeFoe; and
3. We don’t score our goal until the 80th minute…consolation type goal.
maybe if he has been channeling all of his bad mojo into his beard, shaving it (or trimming it severely) will eliminate the tentative play and questions of fitness.
Ives,
No need to work on a post-game write-up on Saturday, I’ve got it for you right here:
After a promising start for the US in the first ten minutes, when some dangerous chances were created by Donovan and Dempsey, Bob Bradley was burned by his decision to start Bornstein at left back, as Aaron Lennon took advantage of sloppy passing by the US and beat Bornstein on a counter before laying off to Rooney for an easy finish past a sprawling Tim Howard. Gerrard headed in a second before halftime as a result of confusion between Bocanegra and Goodson on a tame cross into the box.
US looked better after halftime as Torres replaced the ineffective Clark, Spector spared Bornstein of another embarassing 45 minutes and Holden replaced Buddle, pushing Dempsey up top. US pulled one back when Donovan combined with Torres for a neat 1-2 in the middle, leaving an easy tap in for Altidore to finish.
However, US hopes for points were dashed, when England countered off a giveaway by Dempsey and second-half sub Jermaine Defoe put the game away by sprinting away from the scrambling US back line and rounnding Howard to finish the 50 yard run.
What did you think? Encouraged by the US continuing to fight back after being down and Spector’s effort as a Left Back? Dissapointed by sloppy passing and lack of possession?
Lalas and Gullit sittin together with Mike Tirico on Sportscenter right now. Lalas looks a little uncomfortable. Haha
hells no
Japan scored yet another own goal in thier game on Saturday. I think they might have Jeff Agoos manning their back line.
England should have scored a bucket full of goals in this game and they did not. They have been underperforming lately and we have been timing ourselves to peak on June 12, amd so far our straegy looks to be working. While I do not believe (as Earnie Stewart states above)that we will “own” England, I am certainly hoping that current trends continue. I am “cautiously optimistic.”
I find it odd that England was playing the Platinum Stars, especially seeing as how there were never going to be challenged. The last time England was challenged was by Japan, a game they won without scoring a goal.
Again, if England takes something out of this game other than just basically a training session, then they’re fools. And I do not think they’re fools.
This was just a chance to play a team wearing different colors. Whether or not it’ll help them prepare for Saturday, well, we’ll see Saturday I guess.
Should Gooch shave me before the World Cup?
USA will OWN England!