England vs Sweden Very good 3-2 win vs one of England's bogey teams Sweden
Glen Johnson - Had a very good game apart from playing the Swedes onside for their first goal. His anticipation and interceptions throughout the game was very impressive. Prouduced the key short pass to Walcott before his lightning rod run sent up the final goal for Welbeck
Steven Gerrard - Absolutely inspirational in the first half was by far the best player in the first 45 mins and capped it all off with a delicious cross from deep midfield for his LFC team-mate Carroll to score a bullet header. Showed he running power was unimpaired when in the dying moments of the match bombing on and volleying against the goal-keeper.
Andy Carroll - His continued confidence from the end of the season showed especially in the first half when he latched on to a brilliant cross from his club and country captain Stevie G to score a stunning header to give England a deserved lead. He's hold up play has noticeably improved since he began to play more regular and it's obvious to most that he just a one-trick pony with level of confidence and strength of character having stepped up another level.
Martin Kelly - Unused sub but nice to know he was at least available on the bench
Jordan Henderson - Unused sub not required this game as Hodgson kept the Gerrard/Parker axis in midfield for the full game.
Daniel Agger - His performance was deserving of at least a draw against Portugal where his continuation of form reached new heights. He was simply magnificent defending as if he life depended it on it, producing clearance after clearance in critical moments. If he had been the last defender during Portugal's final goal then Denmark may just be feeling a tad more confident going into the last game.
Pepe Reina - Unused substitute
Andiy Vorinin - Unable to help pressurise the French defence as he done in the previous game against Sweden. Had a very poor game so much so, that Debuchy, the French right-back, had him 'in his pocket' and he was unable to link up with his erstwhile partner in crime Shevchenko. He was unceremoniously 'hooked' at start of the second half.
It's good to see Gerrard, Johnson and Carroll all playing with distinction.
ReplyDeleteJohnson was seen as the weak link in the first XI, and has risen to the challenge magnificently, hopefully he can continue the upward trend. Carroll's goal was truly magnificent, but was more pleasing was to see his all round play has continued on from the end of the season and this obviously now a player confident in his own ability and with his role in the team.
Gerrard had produced two different peformances in the sense that, the French game saw him in all out holding role which his used experience to play a role although not alien to him, was designed to maximise the team's potential to get a result. Against Sweden, he was given more licence to roam as seen with his drifting out to the right side to deliver a picture perfect cross to Andy Carroll for the first goal and almost getting himself on the score sheet in the last throws of the match.