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Prolific: Peter Crouch bagged a brace for England in their 3-0 win over Belarus |
World Cup place Beckham's for Crouch
Tottenham striker lays claim to a squad position for South Africa, with a two goal salvo
FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - GROUP 6
England 3 Belarus 0
WHERE England should be relying on the speed of young colts to mount a challenge at next year's World Cup Finals, it was left to an ageing thoroughbred to put the gloss on an otherwise disappointing performance last night.
David Beckham lifted the crowd, and the players around him, who had looked subdued, despite making the perfect start on four minutes, when Tottenham's Peter Crouch bundled home Gabriel Agbonlahor's low cross.
This early strike should have been the catalyst for a goal feast and carnival display...only it wasn't. Too many passes went astray, while the runs of Shaun Wright Phillips and Aaron Lennon ended up down cul-de-sacs.
The near 77,000 crowd were hoping for great things from Lennon, who looks to be running into form, but his runs here came to nothing, while his only burst into the box came in the second half, before he fell over. When he was subbed for Beckham on 57 minutes, England started to play, and within two minutes, the otherwise disappointing Shaun Wright Phillips, made it 2-0 with a low drive that beat the Belarus keeper Yury Zhevnov.
At the other end, Ben Foster had a quiet night, but he was on hand to smartly block a fierce volley from Sergei Omelyanhcuk, which was the visitors' only really shot at goal.
England's defence kept a technical but yet limited side at bay, throughout, although Wayne Bridge, proved once again, he is miles behind the quality of Ashley Cole, with a clumsy display at left back. The lack of decent left-sided cover is worrying, with the finals just 8 months away.
Only Peter Crouch really stood out for Fabio Capello's side. The Tottenham forward added to his early goal, with a simple tap-in from a blocked shot from substitute Carlton Cole on 76 minutes. Crouch's brace, took his England goal tally to 18 in 36 appearances. He doesn't seem to be in Capello's thoughts for a starting place, but his goal record speaks for itself, and his tidy control and towering height give England something that can change a game when the tournament kicks off next June.
But, it was Man of the Match David Beckham, who should also be figuring in Capello's plans. You can't keep a good man down, and Beckham's pinpoint crosses, and sheer dressing room prescence are a must if England are to mount a serious challenge in South Africa. |
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