Buenas sensaciones, mal resultado para Inglaterra / Good vibes, bad result for England

Carlos Cuéllar . 13-junio-2010

Mal inicio de Inglaterra en Sudáfrica. Empieza con un empate, en lo que para mí es la primera sorpresa del Mundial. Lo cierto es que Capello alineó a un once bastante ofensivo, con dos puntas, un doble pivote (Lampard y Gerrard) con llegada y dos bandas que buscan área. Sorprendía la presencia de mi compañero Milner en la izquierda. Esta campaña en el Aston Villa ha jugado de pivote, interior o lateral diestro, pero nunca ahí.

No pudo empezar mejor todo para los ingleses. Saque de banda, Rooney que conecta con Heskey y éste aguanta la bola hasta que aparece Gerrard para definir ante Howard. Mi compañero Emil demostró que es la referencia arriba y que su presencia ayuda a que Rooney juegue más libre porque fija la atención sobre él de los centrales. Con el partido por delante muchos pensaron que sería fácil para los ingleses, que buscaron controlar los tiempos. Lo hicieron.Me sorprendió el cambio tan temprano de Milner, aunque se dice que James ha tenido un virus. Yo no lo sabía al menos… Estados Unidos sólo inquietaba con tiros lejanos. Y en uno Green falló. Dempsey la pegó con la zurda, centrada y no especialmente fuerte. Gol. Ahora volverá a hablarse de la maldición de los porteros en Inglaterra, algo que les preocupa desde antes de quedarse sin la Eurocopa ante Croacia. Debo decir que luego paró una buen ocasión a Altidore que podía ser el 2-1, aunque el gol es cierto que descentró a Inglaterra.

Pese a todo, tuvieron opciones claras (Heskey, Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Rooney) en la segunda parte pero les faltó acierto. También fue mérito de Howard, que le dieron el MVP del partido. Ahora, tras el empate entre los favoritos del grupo, la primera plaza dependerá de los otros partidos ante Argelia y Eslovenia. Siempre que no haya otra sorpresa, claro.

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Poor start for England in South Africa, a one-all draw which is the first surprise in this World Cup to me. Even Capello’s starting XI looked quite offensive, having too forwards, two attacking midfielders (Lampard and Gerrard) and two wingers opening the pitch. It was a surprised seeing Milner playing on the left, this season he has played as a midfielder or even as a right-back but never on that wing.

It could not have started better for the English. A throw-in, controlled by Rooney then play to Heskey who held the ball and passed it to Gerrard who brilliantly finishes against Howard. My team-mate Emil showed he was the reference up front and with his presence he helps Rooney to play off the defenders as he gets the attention of the two centre-backs. With plenty time til the end of the game, anyone could have thought it would be easy for England to set the pace of the game, they did. I was surprised for the early substitution of Milner, although it has been said he was sick because of a virus, I did not know…

US just tried their luck with long-shots distance and in one of them Green failed. Dempsey took a shot with his left foot to the middle of the goal and not too difficult. Goal. Now, everyone talks about the English curse on goal, something that its been bothering them since the defeat against Croatia before the Euro Cup. I have to say and after all Green did a good save to Altidore’s shot that could have been the 2-1, although the truth is that mistake, disoriented England.

After all, they had good chances in the second half (Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Rooney) but they did not know how to materialize them. Howard’s superb performance awarded him as the MVP of the match. From now on, after a tied between the two favourites teams in the group, the first place will depend on the results against Argelia and Slovenia. Not with another surprise like this one, though.