England v USA full time result
England 1 USA 1
A shocking goalkeeping error from Robert Green gifted the USA a point as England drew a lively opening World Cup Group C match in Rustenburg.
Green allowed Clint Dempsey's weak left-footed, 25-yard effort to pass straight through him just five minutes before half time, giving the USA an equaliser.
Earlier, England captain Steven Gerrard had given his side the perfect start to their World Cup campaign with a goal inside four minutes after linking up with Emile Heskey, who would later shoot straight at goalkeeper Tim Howard when clean through.
Green tipped a Jozy Altidore effort onto the post in the second half, before Wayne Rooney, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Frank Lampard all tested Howard, but to no avail.
England will be somewhat disappointed with this result against a sharp, committed USA side, especially after the excellent Gerrard had got them off to a flyer.
The inspirational skipper latched onto a superb reverse ball from Heskey before coolly finishing past Howard with the outside of his right foot. It was a typical Gerrard goal. The midfielder burst through the US defence to emphatically give his side the advantage.
But the USA rallied, and Altidore should have done a lot better when picked out by Landon Donovan's right wing cross, but the striker - who had lost marker Ledley King - could only meekly head wide.
Back at the other end, Aaron Lennon chose to try and square the ball to Frank Lampard when he could have gone for goal himself. After the USA defence had half cleared the danger, Lampard's overhead kick was easily saved by Howard, who later sustained a heavy knock following a collision with the impressive Heskey.
Fabio Capello chose to replace the yellow carded James Milner - who has been suffering with a virus this week - with Wright-Phillips on the half-hour mark, and the Manchester City man saw a long range effort swerve well wide of Howard's goal.
Closer to goal was Donovan though, as his right footed effort flew just past Green's right hand post, before the West Ham keeper's awful mistake allowed Fulham's Dempsey to equalise in the most bizarre manner.
There was still time for Glen Johnson to draw a good save from Howard before the break, after which Johnson was joined on the pitch by his Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher, a replacement for the injured King at centre-back.
England were back on the attack at the start of the second half, and Lennon's cutback just evaded the hitherto anonymous Rooney, before Heskey missed a glorious chance as, when one-on-one with Howard, he drove the ball straight at the USA 'keeper.
Lampard drew another save from Howard with his long range left-footed effort, before Johnson drove wide from the resulting corner.
The game was ebbing and flowing now, and Green earned some redemption by tipping an Altidore shot onto a post after the American forward had outpaced Carragher.
At the other end, Rooney was finally coming to life, and he just failed to connect with a teasing Gerrard cross before his stunning 25-yard effort fizzed wide of Howard's left hand post. Moments later, the Manchester United forward set up Wright-Phillips, who shot straight at the goalkeeper.
The brilliant Gerrard was soon producing another superb cross, headed over by Heskey this time, and despite the introduction of Peter Crouch late on, England couldn't muster a winner.
In truth a point was probably the least that the USA deserved, despite the freakish nature of their goal, and both sides will now be firm favourites to progress from Group C.
That, though, will be little comfort to Green tonight.
http://www.senore.com/Fabio-Capello-Only-the-result-is-not-good-a12538
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