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Two goals from Wayne Rooney put a gloss on an unispiring England win |
Capello '4-4-Roo' switch sees England home
But Three Lions still flatter to deceive despite 5-goal romp
WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION GROUP 6 Wembley Stadium
ENGLAND 5 KAZAKHSTAN 1
A “GOOD and dangerous” Belarus side look set to offer England a stiffer test on Wednesday than they were handed at Wembley on Saturday.
Ranked 131 in the world, Kazakhstan were always unlikely to offer the home side the kind of threat Fabio Capello says he has identified in their upcoming midweek opponents.
But despite their lowly status in the rankings, Kazakhstan almost put the mockers on England’s bid to follow up last month’s convincing victory over Croatia with an equally emphatic win at home.
This time, it was not the Three Lions’ No 7 Theo Walcott who put the wind up the home side; it was his opposite number Tanat Nusserbayev.
The lively 21-year-old let a decent chance go begging within the first 10 minutes when he dragged his shot wide of David James’ post.
And the striker almost nicked a goal a couple of minutes later when a dangerous back pass from defender Matthew Upson, in for the injured skipper John Terry, was blocked by James.
It was a nervy mistake, but one the West Ham man could have been left to rue at half-time given that England traipsed off having failed to penetrate a stubborn Kazakhstan defence.
That unconvincing showing was put to bed in the second period, however, when Capello switched to 4-4-2, introducing Shaun Wright-Phillips on the left and moving Wayne Rooney upfield.
“After 45 minutes I was not happy,” Capello admitted afterwards. “The second-half I changed it. We needed a speed player on the left and changed Rooney, he played nearer Emile Heskey and played very well.”
England’s brightest young star in the days before Walcott came on the scene looked distinctly out of position in the first-half. But Rooney's scowl turned in to a smile in the 64th minute when he forced his marker Alexandr Kuchma to head Frank Lampard’s free-kick into his own net.
That own goal blunder made it 2-0, stand-in skipper Rio Ferdinand having broken the deadlock with a simple header from Lampard’s corner.
But England were about to indulge in a blunder of their own minutes later when Ashley Cole’s careless back pass handed Zhambyl Kukeyev his first international goal on a plate.
The booing from England fans that followed whenever the former Arsenal defender touched the ball proved club rather than country colours mean more to some supporters when the going gets tough.
“It was one mistake,” said Capello later. “I don’t understand why the crowd moved against one player, you have to help players more when they make a mistake.”
Yet it was Rooney who came to Cole’s aid a nervy eight minutes later when he reinstated England’s two goal cushion by heading home Wes Brown’s cross after good work from Walcott.
Rooney's man of the match award was in the bag six minutes from time when he slotted a loose ball home from a trademark free kick from Walcott’s replacement, David Beckham.
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe, on for Rooney, added the gloss to a somewhat flattering scoreline when he coolly scored with only the keeper to beat on 90 minutes.
It was job done and three wins out of three for England in this campaign, but as Capello admitted after the match, there is still work to be done midweek.
“Belarus is a good team,” he said. “I saw them against Ukraine and they are a good and dangerous team.” |
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