The English have a strange sense of humour..........

[Blackleaf]

Wayne Rooney celebrated his appointment as the new England captain by scoring the winning goal against Norway at a half-empty Wembley last night.

Rooney's strike from the penalty spot after 68 minutes was his 41st goal for England, which means he has now overtaken Michael Owen and lies fourth in the all-time England goalscoring chart with only the greats of Sir Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves and Gary Lineker having scored more England goals.

Norway are hardly the most glamorous of opponents, but on a balmy night such a meagre attendance is a reflection on the apathy that currently surrounds the England team after the World Cup.

The attendance of 40,181, in a stadium which can hold up to 100,000, was the lowest at Wembley Stadium (or "Wembley Stadium connected by EE" as it's now officially known for commercial sponsorship reasons) since 1998 and the lowest since the famous stadium was reopened in 2007 after being rebuilt.

Despite that, England still pull in more fans than any other team in Europe and even the other big European football nations like Germany, Spain, Italy and France would be happy if 40,000 people turned up to watch them at home in what is just a meaningless friendly.

This game was designed as preparation for Monday's testing Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland in Basel and it was an uninspiring affair played out in front of vast swathes of empty seats, with Wembley's top tier deserted and the one below hardly populated.

If there were positives to take from England's display it was the vibrant performance from Liverpool's young attacker Raheem Sterling and Rooney's goal from the penalty spot.

Sterling won the 68th-minute penalty that proved decisive when he was fouled by Omar Elabdellaoui, allowing Rooney to comprehensively beat Norway keeper Orjan Haskold Nyland for the only goal of the match before he was substituted for Danny Welbeck a couple of minutes later.

The closest the game came to having a goal in open play was the close range effort by Danny Welbeck - who has just completed a £16 million move from Manchester United to Arsenal - whose close range shot from the right was beaten away by Nyland.

Calum Chambers, who came on for Stones (who was making his first start for England) in the 81st minute, and Fabian Delph, who came on for Oxlade-Chamberlain after 69 minutes, made their England debuts.


International Friendly

England 1-0 Norway
Rooney (pen) 68

At Wembley
Ref: Manuel Jorge Sousa
Att: 40,181

England

01 Hart, 03 Baines, 06 Jones, 02 Stones (Chambers - 81' ), 05 Cahill (Jagielka - 84' ), 07 Wilshere (Milner - 69' ), 11 Sterling, 04 Henderson, 08 Oxlade-Chamberlain (Delph - 69' ), 10 Rooney (Welbeck - 70' ), 09 Sturridge (Lambert - 89' )


Substitutes

12 Rose, 13 Forster, 14 Jagielka, 15 Chambers, 16 Milner, 17 Delph, 18 Townsend, 19 Welbeck, 20 Lambert

***************************
Norway

12 Nyland, 08 Nordtveit, 23 Forren, 16 Elabdellaoui, 17 Linnes (Flo - 36' ), 19 Jenssen (Pedersen - 87' ), 06 Johansen, 15 Skjelbred (Elyounoussi - 69' ), 07 King (Nielsen - 76' ), 10 Elyounoussi (Kamara - 78' ), 20 Daehli (Konradsen - 57' )

Substitutes

01 Jarstein, 03 Semb Berge, 04 Hagen, 05 Flo, 09 Samuelsen, 11 Pedersen, 14 Konradsen, 18 Nielsen, 21 Tettey, 22 Hansen, 24 Elyounoussi, 25 Kamara

In his first match as captain, Rooney scores from the penalty spot for England to move into fourth place in the all-time England goalscorers list with his 41st England goal

3 September 2014
BBC Sport

By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at Wembley


Rooney becomes England's fourth-highest goalscorer
Lowest attendance at the new Wembley for England game
England give debuts to Chambers and Delph

Wayne Rooney celebrated his appointment as England captain with the winner against Norway on a night when fans turned their back on the team following their dismal World Cup exit.

Only 40,181 turned out at Wembley for England's first game since they were eliminated after two group-stage defeats by Italy and Uruguay in Brazil.

Rooney's penalty at least enabled manager Roy Hodgson to enjoy the taste of victory after a winless summer in South America - but the lowest turn-out for an England international at the new Wembley underlined the extent to which England have lost the public's imagination.

Norway are hardly the most glamorous of opponents, but on a balmy night such a meagre attendance is a reflection on the apathy that currently surrounds the England team after the World Cup.

This game was designed as preparation for Monday's testing Euro 2016 qualifier against Switzerland in Basel and it was an uninspiring affair played out in front of vast swathes of empty seats, with Wembley's top tier deserted and the one below hardly populated.

If there were positives to take from England's display it was the vibrant performance from Liverpool's young attacker Raheem Sterling and Rooney's goal, which was his 41st for his country, taking him to fourth in the all-time listings and only eight behind record-holder Sir Bobby Charlton.

Sterling won the 68th-minute penalty that proved decisive when he was fouled by Omar Elabdellaoui, allowing Rooney to comprehensively beat Norway keeper Orjan Haskold Nyland.

Liverpool team-mates Sterling and Daniel Sturridge were lively in partnership in the first half but Norway were given some encouragement when they put England under pressure after the break, keeper Joe Hart saving brilliantly from Blackburn Rovers striker Joshua King (who has a Gambian father and Norwegian mother), who also almost took advantage of a slip by Gary Cahill.

Cahill provided a late worry for Hodgson when he limped off after a knock and had his ankle encased in ice.

Hodgson tried Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson as his new central midfield partnership, with former captain Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard now retired and Everton's Ross Barkley injured.

Both were busy but in such an atmosphere, more akin to a testimonial than an England international, it seemed the players had trouble raising their own game.

Hodgson will have been satisfied by a solid performance at right-back from Everton's John Stones while Arsenal new boy Danny Welbeck, signed from Manchester United in a £16m deadline day deal, looked lively as a substitute.

There were also England debuts for Arsenal's summer signing Calum Chambers and Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph.

Switzerland will provide a much sterner test, as they proved with their own performances in Brazil, and Hodgson will at least hope England's confidence has been bolstered by the victory, if not the performance in an almost surreal Wembley atmosphere.


"Forget the result. You have to learn things about your team from friendlies like this and the first system England used (4-4-2) was a bit slow.

"When they changed it to three in midfield it was more exciting and that's the system I'd like to see on Monday."

Former England defender Phil Neville on BBC Radio 5 live

Wembley was less than half full for England's first match since their disappointing World Cup, but still pulled in a crowd every other European international side can only dream of for a friendly match

New England captain Wayne Rooney did not have a shot on goal in the first half

England coach Roy Hodgson (right) gives his players a team-talk during a frustrating first half for his team

Rooney moved to fourth on the all-time England goalscorers list with his penalty

New Arsenal signing Danny Welbeck impressed when he came on and went close with a late effort


BBC Sport - England 1-0 Norway

 

[EagleSmack]

Another large post from a fan of a nation whose team still sucks at soccer.

 

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England have made a winning start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign after beating Switzerland - who are ranked higher in the world rankings than England - 2-0 in Basel in their Group E match.

Welbeck's two goals - the first being his first goal for England for a year, with the second come deep into injury time - - clinched the the tree points for the Three Lions.


Switzerland 0-2 England
..........................Welbeck 58, 90+4

At St Jakob-Park, Basel
Ref: Cüneyt Çakir

Arsenal's Danny Welbeck scored his ninth and 10th goals for England

8 September 2014

By Phil McNulty Chief football writer in Basel
BBC News

Danny Welbeck's first England goals in a year
Joe Hart and Gary Cahill deny Swiss
Fabian Delph makes first start for England

England made the perfect start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign as two second-half strikes from Arsenal's £16m new boy Danny Welbeck gave them victory in Switzerland.

Manager Roy Hodgson needed his side to produce an encouraging performance and positive result after the misery of going out of the World Cup in Brazil at the group stage in the summer - and this did the job on both counts.

England were indebted to two vital saves by goalkeeper Joe Hart from Haris Seferovic and a vital goal-line clearance from Gary Cahill, but this victory was fully deserved and showed promising signs for the future.

Switzerland - ninth in Fifa's world rankings in August after reaching the last 16 of the World Cup, with England 20th - posed a threat but ended up being well beaten.

The merits of Hodgson using the diamond formation, which suits Raheem Sterling perfectly, was shown as Liverpool's youngster set up former Manchester United star Welbeck's first goal just before the hour and was also involved as Anfield team-mate Rickie Lambert laid on the striker's second in stoppage time.

England's defence - Phil Jones in particular - still had moments of vulnerability but this meeting with Switzerland was regarded as the toughest assignment in the group with San Marino, Estonia, Lithuania and Slovenia to come. From that point of view, this was mission accomplished.

Match Facts (Courtesy of Opta)

Fabian Delph completed all 26 of his passes in the first half v Switzerland.
England had more shots on target in the first half than in their previous two matches combined.
Wayne Rooney created four goalscoring chances versus Switzerland, twice as many as any other player in the game.
England have won a competitive game outside their country for the first time since March 2013 versus San Marino.

With the post-World Cup apathy reflected in an attendance of just over 40,000 for England's friendly against Norway at Wembley last week, Hodgson could ill-afford a poor start to this Euro 2016 qualifying group.

He had shown signs of strain after the Norway win but cut a more relaxed figure here - and England delivered a result and performance that lifted his mood even more.

And as a signpost for the future, Hodgson has surely found a formation - with Arsenal's Jack Wilshere at the base of the diamond and Sterling at its tip - that he should settle on as England negotiate a group which should be nothing more than a foundation for success in France.

Sterling provided pace and strength, having a hand in both Welbeck goals, with England's pace on the counter-attack too much for Switzerland to handle.

Wayne Rooney also thrived surrounded by speed and willing runners and England's new captain showed his usual willingness to take responsibility and do his share of the donkey work.

Hodgson will also lean on those he has trusted in the past - and in Hart he found someone who excelled when called upon in Basel.
England gave a first start to Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph and he emerged with much credit, although he must also reflect on a lack of discipline that earned him an early yellow card and running the risk of even further punishment.

England's Euro 2016 qualifiers

Switzerland(a) 0-2; (h) 8 September 2015
San Marino(h) 9 October 2014; (a) 5 September 2015
Estonia(a) 12 October 2014; (h) 9 October 2015
Slovenia(h) 15 November 2014; (a) 14 June 2015
Lithuania(h) 27 March 2015; (a) 12 October 2015

Jones, who has usurped Everton captain Phil Jagielka following the World Cup, was uncertain throughout and he was grateful to Hart for keeping England on level terms when he lost possession to Xherdan Shaqiri and, when he played in Seferovic, Manchester City's keeper was off his line to block.

England's speed on the counter was eye-catching and could have brought rewards on the break had Welbeck shot rather than attempt an ill-judged cross that missed both Sterling and Rooney.

Welbeck was on the mark after Hart had once again stopped Seferovic, getting on the end of Sterling's perfect cross after Rooney had broken swiftly on the Swiss defence.

Euro 2016 qualification process

24 teams will play at the finals in France
53 teams will chase 23 places, with the hosts taking the other place
The winners from eight groups of six and one group of five, runners-up and the best third-placed team will reach the finals
The the last four

Cahill was England's hero as Switzerland pressed, with a superb goalline clearance from Josip Drmic - and the final word was left to Welbeck as he took Lambert's pass in his stride in the dying seconds to beat Yann Sommer.

Hodgson punched the air in delight, and perhaps a measure of relief, as England made a start on their road to redemption after Brazil.

Roy Hodgson was back in Switzerland - a country he managed at the 1994 World Cup

Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph (bottom right) was making his first start in an England shirt

England captain Wayne Rooney (right) scuffed a shot and forced a save in the first half

England keeper Joe Hart sticks his right foot out to save from Haris Seferovic

Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck kept his cool to score his first England goal in a year

England forward Danny Welbeck's second came deep into stoppage time

England win and Wayne Rooney's record as captain reads: P2 W2


Mon 8 Sep 2014 - European Championship Qualifying
Switzerland 0 - 2 England FT
Luxembourg 1 - 1 Belarus FT
Spain 5 - 1 Macedonia FT
Ukraine 0 - 1 Slovakia FT
Estonia 1 - 0 Slovenia FT
San Marino 0 - 2 Lithuania FT
Russia 4 - 0 Liechtenstein FT
Austria 1 - 1 Sweden FT
Montenegro 2 - 0 Moldova FT

Sun 7 Sep 2014 - European Championship Qualifying
Georgia 1 - 2 R. of Ireland FT
Germany 2 - 1 Scotland FT
Hungary 1 - 2 Northern Ireland FT