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2010 FIFA World Cup Group Six Qualifier
England 6 Andorra 0
AFTER the complete demolition of a disappointing Andorra, England boss Fabio Capello went out of his way to thank the crowd of 57,897 who had made it to Wembley.
Industrial action on the Underground had, at one time, threatened to see this game played behind closed doors.
The fans were not disappointed as England ran out 6-0 winners against opponents devoid of ideas and, as yet, points in this Group Six World Cup qualifying group. With seven wins out of seven, Capello's men are all but assured of their place in South Africa next summer.
It had taken Wayne Rooney only 3 minutes and 33 seconds to get on the score sheet following a lively start from the home team.
Combining well with Theo Walcott right from the start the England striker had forced a corner, hit the woodwork and rattled the Andorran defence, all before his third attempt, a header from a Glen Johnson cross, found the net past a despairing hand from keeper Koldo Alvarez.
England had immediately relaxed, taking the foot off the accelerator, yet still managing to sustain some pressure; a header close to goal; the odd snap shot and some set pieces. And in the first 20 minutes the Andorrans hardly got out of their own half, a pattern which was to continue.
It was Walcott, again, running riot on the right flank from yet another Johnson play, who pulled back the perfect ball for Frank Lampard to slot home with a low, straight, shot from right on the penalty spot in the 29th minute.
Game over.
After 38 minutes Rooney ran on to a wonderfully weighted, but speedy, cross from man-of-the-match Johnson to make it three.
Following changes at half time, the fourth came in the 73rd minute after defender Oscar Sonejee had needlessly given away a corner on the Andorran left, which was taken short by David Beckham to Johnson to Jermain Defoe (on for Rooney), who headed it wide of Alvarez's right.
Just two minutes later Defoe doubled his tally with a neat follow-up to a Beckham free kick which Alvarez failed to hold.
It was a strong run from Defoe which befuddled the Andorran defence and allowed Peter Crouch his goal in the 81st minute, when he toe-poked the ball through the hapless keeper's legs.
It was the saving grace for Crouch after a frustrating evening in front of goal.
The match was marred by the uncompromising tactics of the visitors who did themselves no favours with their negative play. The gamesmanship and desperate acting early on from No 9, Fernando Silva, was closely followed by team-mate Manolo Jimenez, notably just after England's second from Lampard.
The signs were there from early on that they were quite intent on trying to keep the score down by any means, a strategy that was doomed owing to their inability to retain possession or even make a telling pass.
Andorra's efforts were rounded off with a virtuoso bit ham acting from their only full-time professional, Ildefons Lima, who insisted for some time that Crouch had tried to rearrange his face.
Add to this the inability of Netherlands referee Hendrikus Nijhuis to spot bear-hugs in the penalty area and, but for the six goals, there could have been a frustrating outcome to this one-sided affair.
Certainly some of the biggest cheers were for the odd, very odd, occasions when England goalkeeper Robert Green touched the ball. This did not include the evening's only shot in anger from Andorra, by Sergi Moreno, from 35 yards or so, which Green watched safely soar over his bar.
England: Green, Johnson, A Cole (Bridge 63), Gerrard (Young 45), Lescott, Terry, Beckham, Lampard, Crouch, Rooney (Defoe 45), Walcott.
Goals: Rooney 4, 39, Lampard 29, Defoe 73, 76, Crouch 81.
Andorra: Alvarez (Gomez 89), Ayala, T Garcia, Sonejee, A Lima (Vales 47), I Lima, Moreno, Vieira, Silva (Fernandez 78), Jimenez, Andorra.
Yellow cards: Andorra, Alvarez.
Attendance: 57,897
Referee: Hendrikus Nijhuis (Netherlands). |
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