SB Nation World Cup World Cup 2010 -- Group C
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This match was drawn seven months ago. On Saturday, U.S. soccer history can be re-written.
The United States have brought on Stuart Holden for Jozy Altidore, moving Clint Dempsey into a supporting striker’s role behind Edson Buddle, with Holden taking Dempsey’s spot on the wing.
The match remains ties in the 88th minute, with the U.S. having the best chance of the second half through Jozy Altidore, who had a shot saved off the post earlier in the period.
Bob Bradley as made his first substitution, bringing on Edson Buddle for a tired Robbie Findley in the 77th minute.
Two minutes later, Peter Crouch was brought on for Emile Heskey as Fabio Capello used his final substitution. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jamie Carragher also started the match on the bench, bring brought no for James Milner and Ledley King.
Bradley has two substitutions remaining.
Fabio Capello used his second substitution at halftime, and it wasn’t for Robert Green.
Having already taken James Milner off for Shaun Wright-Phillips, Capello has now taken off Ledley King for Jamie Carragher, who is playing at right-center half in defense.
Ledley King has a chronic knee problem, though there was no reported reason for Capello’s substitution.
In the first half of Saturday's United States-England World Cup group match, USA's Clint Dempsey tied the game with a goal off England goalkeeper Robert Green. I say, "off" rather than "on" here, because the ball hit him square in the arms. Here's the video:
This is certainly one of the weaker goals you will see in a World Cup match. At the half, the score is tied, 1-1.
The United States and England are tied 1-1 at halftime of their World Cup 2010 match in Rustenberg, South Africa, with an early Steven Gerrard goal equalized by Clint Dempsey, with help from one of the most egregious goalkeeping errors of recent memory.
Gerrard opened the scoring with the outside of his right foot in the fourth minute when, played behind the defense by Emile Heskey, the England captain slid the ball under an oncoming Tim Howard. Gerrard ran through a space vacated by Oguchi Onyewu, with a trailing Ricardo Clark unable to prevent the shot.
Despite the United States keeping 60 percent of the possession, England was able to protect their lead relatively easily, though the work of Landon Donovan and Steve Cherundolo on the right flank caused England coach Fabio Capello to use an early substitution, bringing-on Shaun Wright-Phillips to replace James Milner on the left wing in the thirtieth minute.
Six minutes later, United States goalkeeper TIm Howard had an injury scare after taking a boot to the left arm from Heskey. When diving to meet a ball played across the penalty area, Howard collided with the England attacker, causing him to need three minutes of treatment. The goalkeeper would finish the half but was visibly winging in the minutes after play restarted.
In the 40th minute, Clint Dempsey was given room on his left foot from 22 yards, hit a shot along the ground right to goalkeeper Robert Green. The ball hit Green in the gloves as the keeper knelt in front of the shot, but failing to hold the shot, Green redirected the ball into the net, tying the score.
A speculative left-footed shot from 22 yards out from United States attacker Clint Dempsey was let in by goalkeeper Robert Green despite the shot being hit right to him.
Dempsey was given room outside the area to let the shot goal. The ball went along the ground to Green, kneeing in the middle of goal. The ball hit Green’s gloves just above the field, but the West Ham United keeper still allowed the ball through him, into goal.
It was as soft a goal as you could see in professional soccer. Regardless, the United States equalized at the 40 minute mark
Robert Green’s status as the starting goalkeeper was not verified until today’s line-up. David James, another potential starter, continued to struggle with a knee injury while Joe Hart, England’s Professional Football Writers best goalkeeper last season, Fabio Capello’s third option.
Around the thirtieth minute of Saturday's USA-England World Cup, USA goalkeeper Tim Howard caught spikes to the chest.
While scrambling for a loose ball, Howard dove head-first, and his chest met the foot of England's Emile Heskey. After remaining on the ground for a couple of minutes, Howard stood up and remained in the game. Hopefully for the United States, the injury won't adversely affect Howard's ability to protect the goal.
As of the 36th minute, England maintains a 1-0 lead over USA.
Here's a view of the hit:
It took only four minutes for England to shake off their pre-World Cup malaise and take the lead on the United States.
In the first real chance of the match, England worked through the U.S. defense to find Steven Gerrard, who slid a shot with the outside of his right boot under an oncoming Tim Howard for the first goal.
The play worked in from the right flank to Wayne Rooney, whose short, deflected pass to Emile Heskey was touched toward the spot for a running Gerrard. The midfielder ran through the space vacated by Oguchi Onyewu (who had come out to play Rooney) for an easy chance on Howard.
Ricardo Clark, trailing the play, was unable to track down Gerrard, who made it 1-0.
No surprises for the United States.
After we heard that Oguchi Onyewu and Jozy Altidore would start, the United States’ starting lineup was far more predictable than England’s Robbie Findley was a doubt in some’s minds, but the Real Salt Lake start is in the team, which is expected to employ coach Bob Bradley’s customary 4-4-2 formation:
United States Starting Lineup
G: Tim Howard
LB: Carlos Bocanegra
CB: Oguchi Onyewu
CB: Jay DeMerit
RB: Steve Cherundolo
W: Clint Dempsey
MF: Michael Bradley
MF: Ricardo Clark
W: Landon Donovn
F: Robbie Findley
F: Jozy Altidore
Fabio Capello’s lineup has been announced, but we will have to wait and see how it’s deployed. There is a chance we could see Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in central midfield. We could also see James Milner taking the position normally occupied by the now-injured Gareth Barry.
Emile Heskey starts with Wayne Rooney up top. Robert Green is in goal while Ledley King is in Rio Ferdinand’s vacated spot.
England Starting LIneup
G: Robert Green
LB: Ashley Cole
CB: John Terry
CB: Ledley King
RB: Glen Johnson
MF: Steven Gerrard
MF: James Milner
MF: Frank Lampard
MF: Aaron Lennon
ST: Emile Heskey
ST: Wayne Rooney
Two issues have defined the lead-up to what some (but none in Brazil and Portugal) consider the biggest match of group stage.
The first is injuries. The United States have Jozy Altidore healthy, though it is unclear if he is "100 percent." If he is not, the United States will be starting two hobbled players, with a limited Oguchi Onyewu - still coming back from knee surgery - scheduled to start in central defense. And of course, the U.S. is missing Charlie Davies to a long-term injury.
England is in worse shape. Their captain, central defender Rio Ferdinand, suffered a training ground knee injury and was taken off the roster last week. Starting central midfielder Gareth Barry is out with an ankle injury. Starting goalkeeper David James will be rested with a knee problem.
As much attention has been paid to the U.S.'s injury woes, England has it worse (though those have gotten enough attention, too).
The second big issue defining the big match's build-up: Rivalry, and the U.S.'s interpretation of it. For England, this is not a normal match, but it is certainly less of an affair than it would be if the Three Lions were playing Germany. For the United States, there is no conceivable match-up that would be more important, with some of the supporters' intensity making the lead-up to a Mexico match seem benevolent.
As far as the group dynamics are concerned, the match will not define either's tournament. Both teams are picked to go through regardless of what happens in this match. For U.S. soccer culture, however, this could be a landmark occasion - it's biggest win in sixty years.
If they get it. They are still underdogs - markedly so. However, the gaps between the haves and haves not are closely collapsing, and many people on both sides of the pond might be surprised at just how little space exists between England and the U.S.
And to that end, one idea that could consistently work:
The United States have a clear advantage in attack down their left. England right back Glen Johnson sometimes gets too ambitious going forward, and even when he is back, he can be beaten. If Dempsey can consistently beat Johnson, it will force right-center back Ledley King to come support, should Dempsey move toward goal. If Jozy Altidore runs near post, he will pull John Terry with him. The vacated space could be used by Landon Donovan or Michael Bradley, with Clint Dempsey having the vision and skill to find them. Should England's defense respond to the empty space, the first of Donovan or Bradley into the space could re-open the far post by running to the middle.
Team Preview
Team Data Card (PDF)
June 12 - United States
June 18 - Algeria
June 23 - Slovenia
Team Preview
Team Data Card (PDF)
June 12 - England
June 17 - Slovenia
June 22 - Algeria
World Cup 2010, United States 1-1 England: Clint Dempsey's Goal Gives U.S. Surprise Point
The United States got an unexpected point against England in Rustenberg, South Africa on Saturday, with first half goals from Steven Gerrard and Clint Dempsey leading to a 1-1 draw.
The headlines will focus on Dempsey's 40th minute tally, with England goalkeeper Robert Green's attempts to save the attacker's shot bound to spawn comparisons to recent gaffs by Scott Carson and Paul Robinson.
Robinson's misfortune handling a back pass against Croatia in 2006 remains in English minds, while Scott Carson's soft goal allowed against Croatia to end England's Euro 2008 qualifying marks another recent goalkeeping gaff for the English national team.
Robert Green's mistake tops both those incidents.
Dempsey put a left-footed shot along the ground from 22 yards out, straight to Green in the middle of goal. Green kneeled on one knee to collect the ball but let the shot go off his gloves and into the net, giving the United States an equalizing goal.
England had gone up in the fourth minute when Steven Gerrard beat Tim Howard from near the spot, flicking a pass from Emile Heskey under the uncoming `keeper for the opener. The England captain ran through space vacated by Oguchi Onyewu, who had come off his line to meet Wayne Rooney, with Ricardo Clark trailing Gerrard.
The match went in to half time tied 1-1, by which time Fabio Capello had subbed-off James Milner for Shaun Wright-Phillips. Coming out of intermission he used his second substitute, with Jamie Carrager replacing Ledley King at right-center half.
That substitute helped create the best opportunity of the half, falling to the United States when forward Jozy Altidore ran past Jamie Carragher and nearly beat Green to his near post. The West Ham `keeper got enough of his right hand on the ball to turn it onto the post, keeping the score at tied at one.
Minutes earlier, Emile Heskey had his chance to put England ahead, put through on goal by Aaron Lennon. Tim Howard came out to meet the striker, who pulled-up from 20 yards only to fire his shot directly into Howard's chest.
It was one of a number of highlights for Tim Howard, who was the United States' man of the match. Steve Cherundolo and Jay DeMerit also gave strong performances for the national team.
For England, the stories will center on the players who failed to perform to expectations. Robert Green will be focused upon, but Wayne Rooney failed to make his expected impact. James Milner earned his substitution, and Aaron Lennon, multiple times, failed to produce a quality final ball that could have led to a winning score.
Both England and the United States sit with one point in Group C, with Algeria and Slovenia to play tomorrow morning at 7 a.m. Eastern.
Jun 12 4:48p by Richard Farley - 15 comments