So England continued their poor competitive record against Italy, five defeats and one goalless draw in the last six with Saturday night’s 2-1 loss in Manaus. In fact if you look at the last 17 meetings, including friendly matches, England have beaten Italy just four times.
As home fans counted down the hours on a very long Saturday to the 11pm kick-off, the main focus was on team selection and as afternoon became early evening, Roy put us out of our misery by announcing his World Cup starting eleven. Rooney was in, so was Henderson and Danny Welbeck was selected but in a role so unfamiliar to him and the watching millions that he actually pushed Raheem Sterling for Man of the Match.
England were on the front foot from the start and it was Raheem Sterling, making his competitive debut, who almost scored inside the first four minutes. Demonstrating just what a potent weapon he is, the youngster picked up the ball in midfield and ran at pace at the heart of the Italian defence before unleashing a terrific shot that looked as if it billowed the back of the net. Not to be, side netting only but what a positive start.
Danny Welbeck meanwhile was putting in the kind of shift that earned him many admirers but for all his retrieval work I think it was summed up by Thierry Henry in the BBC studio. He said that however laudable were Welbeck’s efforts in defending ‘I would prefer to see him at work in the last third’.
Then Jordan Henderson powered forward and fired in a shot that Buffon’s stand-in, Sirigu, beat away. For all the forward positivity on display the thing that caught my eye, for most of the first half, was the defensive discipline shown by the England team, especially the forward players like Rooney, Welbeck and Sturridge. Their efforts exemplified the age old maxim of defending from the front and it was obviously carried out under orders from Roy Hodgson so there was food for optimism.
However, one should know from experience the minute you start feeling optimistic is the moment before England let you down. And at the heart of it was the Italian who seems to arouse the fear of doom and destruction whenever the Azzurri play – and for the opening goal Pirlo never even touched the ball.
Following a corner the ball was driven low, cut back, towards the edge of the England penalty area. Andrea Pirlo sold Daniel Sturridge the kind of dummy that haunts a player for the rest of his career and Marchisio drove the ball home from 25 yards giving Joe Hart no chance.
Enter the aforementioned doom and gloom that England supporters grow up with. But fear not as the best England combination play for many a long year drew Roy’s boys level inside two minutes.
Raheem Sterling’s qualities have been well documented but the executor of the penetrative, defence splitting pass would not readily be listed amongst his attributes. But split the Italians he did with a superb ball into the path of Wayne Rooney, marauding along the left wing! Yes, I had to re- read that after I wrote it but Wayne, playing from that left side position he, let’s face it, hates but won’t admit, hit the perfect left foot cross into the danger area. A previously similar ball was squandered by Danny Welbeck but not this time by Daniel Sturridge, who seems to be growing in stature as an international striker.
Taking a wider run, Sturridge hit the ball on the half-volley, with his right foot, to score his third goal in his last four England games to level, in the 37th minute.
All square at the break and the second half to relish, not really. Within two minutes of the restart Joe Hart made a mistake and only the intervention of Phil Jagielka, who cleared the ball, prevented Mario Balotelli from restoring the Italian lead. Candreva then hit the post and we were left wondering how long it would be before Italy did go ahead again.
Three minutes, actually. That’s how long it took for England to concede again and no matter how many times it is viewed it will not make good viewing for Joe Hart or Leighton Baines.
Italy broke down the right and the Everton left back made the kind of mistake that is usually coached out of kids at six or seven, namely, keep your eye on the ball. Baines did not and turned his back as Candreva dummied to cross with his right. While Baines was still in mid-flight, back turned towards Candreva, the Italian switched to his left and sent in the perfect cross which curled in towards the far post and Mario Balotelli.
As the two former Manchester City team mates climbed to attack the ball Hart misjudged the flight of the ball and also his position relative to the post. Super Mario judged everything to perfection and his deft downward header beat Hart at the post and Italy were 2-1 up and heading for victory.
The real Wayne Rooney responded with what, unfortunately these days, seems to be a thing of the past. He picked up the ball in midfield, burst forward and fired in a shot that was just wide. That was as good as it was for the United man and it just went down hill from there. He then pulled a shot dreadfully wide from a potent position and 13 minutes from time he hit the worst corner I have ever seen in an international. From the flag the ball went ever further from the bi-line until it ended up in the Amazon. Heads dropped all round, in the stadium and back home, and we all counted down to the final whistle and started another countdown. To the must win game against Uruguay who went down 3-1 to Costa Rica.
Points for RH to consider. Did Wayne Rooney do enough to keep his place against Uruguay? No, apart from the cross for England’s equaliser he could well be sitting out the second game.
Raheem Sterling has earned the right to start against Uruguay but needs to be given his head to run at the opposition and damage them.
Danny Welbeck had a great game against Italy, as a defending midfielder. Alan Shearer summed it up in the BBC studio when he said of a chance squandered by the forward. ‘That was a tap in for a centre forward with the killer instinct’. The former England striker did not have to qualify that statement. I simply wrote -That is not Danny Welbeck.
Ross Barkley came on for Welbeck just past the hour. He may well have done enough to start against Uruguay.
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