Euro 2012 Qualifiers: Switzerland vs. England- 1st Half Report
England goes in to half-time 1-0 up against Switzerland in Basel, in their 2nd Euro 2012 qualifier. It was the man making headlines for all the wrong reasons, Wayne Rooney, who got the only goal of the half. It was a convincing performance from Capello’s men and signs point towards at least 2 more goals in the 2nd half.
The conditions in Basel meant tonight was going to be a test, even if one thought England were much the stronger team. Factor in the visitors' inexperienced defence and once could see why they were expected to find things difficult.
Switzerland got the game under way at St Jakob-Park, as the rain just stopped pouring down. Theo Walcott got his first touch of the ball, and immediately ran at the Swiss before being fouled by David Degen on the half-way line. Both teams were still finding their way into the game.
The first few minutes of the game had been "scrappy". England had whipped a couple of balls into the Swiss box from either flank but they had come to precisely nought. The home side were trying to play keep-ball but were being harried by England and were not being able to settle.
Wayne Rooney got his first meaningful touch and tried to release Jermain Defoe, but he got too much on his pass and his teammate could not control it.
And then came the most important moment of the first half. Glen Johnson overlapped on the right after good work by Theo Walcott, and his low ball across goal ran past Walcott and Jermain Defoe but into the path of Wayne Rooney, who thumped the ball home from close range. It was the perfect start for England and for the Manchester United striker too.
The only bad news for England was that Theo Walcott got injured as he tried to meet Glen Johnson's cross. Adam Johnson was then sent on for the Arsenal winger.
England continued to enjoy most of the possession and only poor control from Jermain Defoe denied him a shooting chance inside the area, after he was found by a lovely looping ball from Steven Gerrard.
Soon there was another chance for England, and it was a decent one. Adam Johnson crossed from the right but Jermain Defoe skied his shot over the bar.
England continued to press and Jermain Defoe and Wayne Rooney linked up well on the edge of the box, and Rooney was unlucky to see his chipped through-ball run just beyond the Tottenham striker. England continued to look the more dangerous side.
James Milner then got into the act and got forward well down the left and beat his man, but his drilled cross was just too strong for Jermain Defoe.
The introduction of Adam Johnson meant there were five Manchester City players on the pitch for England. For the record, there were also two Liverpool players, and one each from Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Theo Walcott had been taken to hospital for an X-ray on an injured ankle. Back on the pitch, Joe Hart was a tad complacent as he dealt with a back-pass, but just about got the ball away as Eren Derdiyok slid in.
While on the other end, Adam Johnson, who opened his England account on Friday, was given time and space on the edge of the area and elected to have a pop. It was not a bad effort either, but the ball fizzed narrowly over the bar.
The first half ended at 1-0, and England was by far the better side. The visitors look good for at least couple more goals in the 2nd half.
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