England fail to get the Rob of the Green

Police have announced that reports of a large popping sound over the whole of England is nothing to be concerned about - it's just the sound of millions of England fan's bubbles bursting.....

The most anticipated game for England in four long, LONG years, one marked by optimism and hope and all those other nasty words that lead down the inevitable road to tears.


So it began, Steven Gerrard meeting expectations before Robert Green made a calamitous mistake (unless your American obviously), this is one spill they won't mind coming from us. The Robert Green jokes will fly around text messages for the next few days so no real reason to add to that (okay, just one, Steven Gerrard says the whole team are behind Rob Green, in retrospect, that's a good place to stand)



Let's look at the positives.....the referee had a good game. Though seriously, it wasn't that bad of a performance and England should of won, though they created a couple of chances, England were a far superior side for skill and possession, patient build up play that didn't work this time as the Americans did their homework and pushed Rooney wide, leaving Heskey in the centre, Lampard should of been in that space....but where was he? don't blame Green, if blame is to be pointed it's at the player that once again in the big games for England, dissappeared! It's hard to fault the other players, Heskey worked tirelessly and if he had his shooting boots (last seen in Leicester in 2000) it would of been so different. Gerrard led by example, winning the ball, playing the ball and making space, it's his hard work that led to the goal. On the wing Lennon was overawed by the occasion and the fullbacks stopped his runs, he had his moments though Milner was shameful tonight, he'll be lucky to play again in this tournament and he knows it, Wright-Phillips was pretty much the same as Lennon, tried but was closed down. In defence, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson were restricted in getting forward, it's no coincidence that when USA broke Glen Johnson was out of position, decent games by John Terry and Ledley King were needed, there was no panic in the England penalty box.



The point is this, bar Green's mistake, he only had one real save to make and he did it well. USA worked hard in this game, personally i felt the pace of Jermain Defoe would of been more effective in the final 20 minutes than whatever Peter Crouch was meant to offer, the USA back line was pushing further forward (allowing Heskey to go for the world record in offsides, currently held by Italy's Fillipo Inzaghi in any international game he played), Defoe would of frightened them, Crouch only humoured them (this country has professional wrestling, Peter Crouch is just an anorexic wrestler to them). The Americans forced Rooney wide and didn't allow him time or space to play and they simply didn't allow England to control the flanks, yet England still should of won and that's a good sign. The USA played the game of their lives, they worked so hard for this point and England HAVE to take confidence from that, a win would of been good, a defeat unforgivable but a draw brings us back down to earth, if England are to win, it won't be at a stroll, if lessons are learnt now, it's better than in the knockout stages. In Fabio we must trust.

and at least Al Qaeda didn't make an appearance