Terry takes his anger over European Cup Final defeat out on the USA

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On Wednesday last week, Chelsea captain John Terry was left distraught as he missed a penalty in the shoot-out against Manchester United that would have won his team the European Cup. Instead, United went on to win it.

But, last night, Terry - as England captain - went some way to erasing those emotional scars by scoring England's first goal in an easy win against the United States. He rose above the US defenders to slam home a powerful header.

Before the game, England midfielder David Beckham received a Golden Cap from 1966 England World Cup winner Bobby Charlton as a reward for winning his 100th cap against France in March.

The United States have only ever beaten England twice - in the 1950 World Cup and a 1993 friendly - and they have NEVER scored at Wembley.

By Andrew McKenzie
The BBC

TERRY SPANKS THE YANKS


FRIENDLY (At Wembley Stadium, north London. Attendance: 71,233)

England 2-0 USA
Terry 38
Gerrard 59

England captain John Terry rises above everyone else to head England's first goal against the USA last night - a week after he missed the penalty for Chelsea in the European Cup Final against Manchester United that would have won the tournament for his team


John Terry put aside his Champions League troubles to help England to a routine friendly win over a disappointing USA side at Wembley.

Terry headed England in front from a pinpoint David Beckham cross shortly before the end of a poor first half.

Gareth Barry came off the bench to set up team-mate Steven Gerrard to sidefoot home the second goal.

The USA's best chance fell to Eddie Johnson but he lashed past the post on a difficult evening for the visitors.

England returned to winning ways in Fabio Capello's third game in charge of the national side, but it was another largely uninspiring and forgettable friendly.

It will take more than a win over the Americans before Terry forgets his penalty miss that cost Chelsea the Champions League final.

But the goal clearly provided a bit of welcome relief for the Chelsea skipper, who was handed the captaincy as coach Fabio Capello again rotated the armband.

Former skipper Beckham was presented with a golden cap from England's record goalscorer Sir Bobby Charlton prior to the game and followed it with a energetic 45 minutes on the right side.

Beckham was first to threaten a goal with a free-kick that whistled past the post.

The LA Galaxy midfielder offered a scoring opportunity for Gerrard to break the deadlock from a cleverly worked set-piece, but the Liverpool star's shot was blocked by Clint Dempsey.

Jermain Defoe was handed a first start for 20 months up front to provide some swift legs alongside Wayne Rooney.

The Portsmouth player offered the pace but wasted several opportunities to show he is the man with the finishing touch that England have been lacking.

With the USA mustering little in attack it was a matter of whether England could convert their ample possession into goals.

Defoe should have finished off a neat move involving Gerrard and Rooney but he sidefooted past the post in front of goal.

Just before the interval England got the breakthrough when Beckham swung in a trademark cross from the right and Terry, standing almost on the penalty spot, powered a low header past Tim Howard.

The goal awoke the England fans from their friendly slumber and England began to dominate with Owen Hargreaves and Defoe threatening to add a second before the interval.

USA could have thrown a spanner in the works a minute of the restart with their best chance of the game, but Johnson smacked just wide of the upright with an otherwise-untroubled England defence standing back.

Both sides began to make use of their considerable substitute benches and Barry, who replaced an ineffective Frank Lampard, made an instant contribution.

The Aston Villa midfielder produced a deft pass to lay on the second goal for a breaking Gerrard to run on and slot home comfortably.

With the USA looking dead and buried the game was effectively over, which was all-but-confirmed when the crowd began the Mexican waves with 20 minutes still to go.

England: James, Brown (Johnson 57), Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole (Bridge 82), Beckham (Bentley 46), Hargreaves, Lampard (Barry 57), Gerrard, Defoe (Crouch 68 ), Rooney (Joe Cole 78 ).

Subs not used: Hart, Lewis, Warnock, Woodgate, Jagielka, Wheater, Huddlestone, Downing, Young, Ashton, Walcott, Agbonlahor
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USA: Howard (Guzan 46), Cherundolo (Hejduk 46), Onyewu, Bocanegra, Pearce, Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Beasley (Lewis 68 ), Johnson (Jaqua 89), Wolff (Adu 68 ).

Subs not used: Califf, Edu.


Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).

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HERE ARE ALL THE RESULTS OF ENGLAND VS USA

USA 1-0 ENGLAND
(June 29th 1950)

England, the self-proclaimed Kings of Football, were dethroned in a result that stunned the world.

England, fielding such illustrious names as Tom Finney, Billy Wright and Alf Ramsey (who became manager of the England team that won the World Cup in 1966), lost to the minnows of the States in their group match at the World Cup in Brazil.

Haiti-born Joe Gaetjens hit the only goal.
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USA 3-6 ENGLAND
(June 8th 1953)

England had revenge in New York with Nat Lofthouse and Tom Finney netting two goals apiece.
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USA 1-8 ENGLAND
(May 28th 1959)

Bobby Charlton scored a hat-trick as England went goal-cxrazy in Los Angeles.
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USA 0-10 ENGLAND
(May 27th 1964)

Another spanking for the Yanks saw Roger Hunt notch four goals.
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USA 0-5 ENGLAND
(June 16th 1985)

Gary Lineker and Kerry Dixon each struck twice in this resounding win.
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USA 2-0 ENGLAND
(June 9th 1993)

Graham Taylor's flops (who failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in the USA) were humiliated in Foxboro, losing to goals by Tom Dooley and hairy centre-back Alexi Lalas.
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ENGLAND 2-0 USA
(September 7th 1994)

Alan Shearer scored twice to seal a win for England at Wembley.
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USA 1-2 ENGLAND
(May 28th 2005)

Sven Goran Eriksson tried five debutants in this Chicago friendly. One of them, Kieran Richardson, scored twice to win it.
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ENGLAND 2-0 USA
(May 28th 2008 )

Three years to the day after their last previous game against the USA, England win thanks to a goal from Terry and one from Gerrard.

England 2-0 USA: England manager Fabio Capello has learned the language - now he wants to end the season with a fine display at Wembley

With Bruce Springsteen due to play the Emirates Stadium at the weekend and their soccer team on show at Wembley no wonder this fan is excited

England's very own "Goldenballs" aka David Beckham receives a golden cap to commemorate winning his 100th cap against France

As Fabio Capello plays pass the captain's armband Chelsea defender John Terry is the recipient for Wednesday's game

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard plays for the first time under Fabio Capello and does his best to impress his new boss

In a disjointed first-half captain Terry finally gives the English fans something to shout about as he heads home

After the pain of the Luzhniki Stadium in the Champions League final the healing process begins for Terry

Man-of-the-match Steven Gerrard scores his first England goal for over a year to double the advantage after the break

news.bbc.co.uk/sport

 

[Blackleaf]

For a bit of fun, here's how a typical American may view last night's game - here we have an article written by a typically ignorant and slightly-confused Yank, as represented by the fictitious Chuck Dollario....

Shame we lost in the land where they made soccerball, but it was worth it to see Terry John's face when he headkicked that goal


By CHUCK DOLLARIO
29th May 2008
Daily Mail



Who'd have thought it? Sir David Beckham turned his back on the States to play for Britain one last time. We'd have won at the Wemberley Soccerdome if Goldenhair had turned out for us. Why do you think we payed a gazillion dollars?

But we can forgive Sir Becks. I'm just glad he didn't score a 68.4-yard field goal like he did at the weekend.

The Galaxy wide receiver might not clock up the rushing yards like he used to, but you can still trust him to hit winning passes without getting sacked. His completion rate of 0.8379 is the best since John Harkes – and he was a Hall of Famer with the Sheffield Steelers.



"We're watching the soccerball, dude! Yeah!": American fans enjoy their day out


But I can take losing just to see Terry John's face after he headkicked that first conversion. Totally. It was such a shame what happened to TJ in Moscow.

Chelsea Blues is my favourite franchise. We flew over Stamford Ballpark on the way here, seeing where Peter the Czech and the Cole brothers play. In fact, the whole airplane journey into LHR was an experience. Saw all the sights: Buckinghamshire Palace, London Bridge, the circus at Piccadilly. . . it will be a shame to leave.

Far out: Beckham scores from 70 yards for the LA Galaxy against Kansas City Wizards last Saturday


Wemberley was rad, man. It was bigger than my pop described it. But he reckons it hasn't been the same since the Twin Towers came down. Don't know what Al-Qaida gotta do with it but the Brits sure built it up bigger and better. Never let those terrorists win.

It was an honour to play in the country where they made soccerball up nearly 60 years ago.

But even back in 1950 we beat Britain at the first World Bowl, and I can't wait to beat them next time we host the big one in 2018.

There was a time when the United States was the losingest team on the planet. Then we showed everyone with the World Bowl in 1994. We would have won it if Diana Ross hadn't missed that PK. She knows how JT and Nicko A feel. What were we thinking letting a chick take it?

But that was years ago. For some reason they won't let us play in the Bowl in Austria and Swaziland this year. But we've already qualified for the Confederations Cup – the big one – next year in South Africa.

Captain Fantastic: Britain's Terry John celebrates his headkick

But it's not fair – the next Bowl is also in South Africa in 2010. England will be good preparation for the big one: we've got Barbados next in the crunch World Cup qualifier at the Home Depot Center next month.

Au revoir, London: It's time to go back over the Pond


But we're ready. Totally. We proved we were the best at the Gold Cup in the summer series last year, even though we were in the "Death Group" with Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and El Salvador. The Guatemalans gave us a real run for our dollars, with the only goal from Clint Dempsey. It was a peach, though – a real worm-burner right into the corner of meshing. At first I thought it was from behind the three-point line.

Coach Bradley is a genius. Fabio Coppola doesn't even speak English properly. Then again, I didn't realise that most of Britain's states have their own language. JT is the captain but only seems to speak Cockles. Then there's the Scouses, Geordieboys, Brummers, the Scotch and the Polish.

Sir Becks has learned a bit of English since he came to LA, but he's still clearly struggling. How the quarterback manages to call the plays I have no idea. But seeing as we're not in the Bowl this semester, I hope Britain wins it.

Au revoir, London.

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