England cruise past Bulgaria at Wembley
England won their first European championship qualifying match 4-0 after an in-form Jermain Defoe struck three past Bulgaria at Wembley.
Adam Johnson also scored for England, while Manchester City keeper Joe Hart showed that he should remain Fabio Capello’s first choice in goal for a long time to come.
Early lead for England
In only the third minute, England got ahead at Wembley. Wayne Rooney played a lofted ball over the defence to put left-back Ashley Cole through on goal.
Cole's shot was blocked by Nikolay Mihaylov in the Bulgarian goal, but the Englishman then played a clever cut-back to Defoe whose left-footed finish saw him grab his 14th international goal.
England dominated possession and looked likely to add to their lead, but after 20 minutes an English player nearly netted an equalizer for Bulgaria.
Pressured by winger Martin Petrov in his own penalty box, right-back Glen Johnson attempted to put the ball out for a corner but instead directed the ball towards his own goal. Showing fine reactions, Hart was able to parry it.
Capello’s side played an encouraging passing game in the first half, managing to move the ball around well without producing many scoring opportunities.
The lively James Milner created a chance for himself after 41 minutes as his quick feet on the left wing earned him enough space to get a strike in, but his shot was deflected wide for a corner.
Action-packed second half
The tempo of the game picked up after the break, with Rooney attempting one of his trademark audacious attempts in the 53rd minute.
Found by Defoe 30 yards from the Bulgarian goal, the Manchester United forward knocked a speculative lob towards the far corner that Mihaylov had to stretch to tip over the bar.
Moments later, Michael Dawson, making his first competitive appearance for England, misjudged a high ball that eventually landed with Ivelin Popov. After exchanging passes with Valeri Bojinov, the midfielder's fierce, low drive flashed just wide of Hart’s goal.
Hart denies Bulgaria late on
Hart then produced a good stop to deny Stanislav Angelov, starting a rapid English counter attack in the process. The ball was fed to Rooney, who charged forward before playing Defoe through on goal. The Tottenham striker made no mistake, finishing calmly to double England’s lead.
The English keeper was at the centre of attention shortly after England’s second goal, when his stretched save denied Dimitar Rangelov, who had looked certain to score from inside the box.
Adam Johnson, on for Theo Walcott after 74 minutes, got his first international goal as England began to look comfortable. The Manchester City prospect cut inside from the right side of the area to finish with his left foot, planting a low shot inside the near post that Mihaylov could not save.
Defoe continued to reap the rewards of England’s inspired attacking play when Rooney, once again the provider, found him on the edge of the area. The striker took a touch in his stride and steered a left-footed shot just inside the far post to complete his hat-trick.
Capello, often critical of his team’s performances, should be pleased with England’s offensive movement and Hart’s confidence in goal ahead of the upcoming qualifiers.
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