International friendly: England v France full time report
England 1 France 2
England lost to a technically superior France on a wet night at Wembley.
Karim Benzema scored the goal that the visitors’ early dominance deserved, exchanging passes with Florent Malouda before firing a left foot shot past Ben Foster at his near post.
That lead was doubled early in the second period when Mathieu Valbeuna expertly volleyed home Bacary Sagna’s cross, but England attempted a spirited comeback, and Steven Gerrard saw a looping header clip the top of the crossbar, before firing another effort wide.
With Gerrard off injured, his replacement Peter Crouch turned in Ashley Young’s corner to give England hope, but the French held on.
It was a night that showcased just how new coach Laurent Blanc has helped France get over their World Cup nightmare, and how Fabio Capello’s England – despite the introduction of a few new faces – are still suffering a hangover from the events in South Africa.
All eyes were The Three Lions’ young debutants Andy Carroll, 21, and Jordan Henderson, 20, but it was one of the old guard who threatened to have the first say, as Gerrard’s low free kick from distance was comfortably fielded by France ‘keeper Hugo Lloris.
It was the French who had settled the better though, and after Malouda had tested England’s Ben Foster from an angle, the Chelsea winger then fired wide after shaking off Rio Ferdinand. Yoann Gourcuff was soon driving an effort goalwards from distance, but Foster proved equal to it. The visitors had a spring in their step, and a deserved French goal was just around the corner.
Forward Benzema – who has barely been able to get a game for Real Madrid this season – picked the ball up on the left edge of the penalty area, before exchanging passes with Malouda and firing a left-footed shot past Foster at the goalkeeper’s near post. England’s static defence helped make the goal possible, but there was no doubting its quality.
France were well on top, and the first hit of boos from the home supporters started to echo around Wembley shortly before the half hour mark. The home crowd were restless.
Benzema fired well wide at the end of another fast, flowing French attack, but England were starting to utilise the height and power of Carroll more, and the Newcastle United forward was soon nodding down to Gerrard, who shot over on the stretch.
England had stemmed the flow of French attacks but their own weren’t of any great quality, with a lack of a good final ball letting down both Theo Walcott and Carroll as they entered promising positions towards the end of the first period.
Fabio Capello made adventurous changes at the break, withdrawing Ferdinand, Gareth Barry and Walcott and replacing them with Micah Richards, Adam Johnson and Ashley Young, and with Gerrard now playing in the centre of midfield alongside Henderson, England set about trying to wrestle control of the match from the French. They showed early promise, but the task was about to become a lot harder.
The French sprung, and from Gourcuff’s excellent pass, Sagna easily got in behind his Arsenal team-mate Kieran Gibbs down France’s right, and his low cross was expertly volleyed in by Valbuena, who was arriving into the penalty area at pace. It was a well-crafted goal, and showed England exactly what they weren’t doing.
The lively Samir Nasri had come close before the goal, and the Arsenal man was buzzing around England’s midfield with real intent, but it was Gerrard who was to come close next, straining to meet Johnson’s inswinging free kick, before looking on as his looping header clipped the top of the crossbar on its way over. Moments later, Gerrard’s cross was headed straight at Lloris by Carroll.
The raft of substitutions that usually accompany international friendlies started to take hold in the final quarter of the match, with Cardiff City’s Jay Bothroyd replacing Carroll for his England debut. He almost profited from Johnson’s deflected effort that ricocheted around the six yard box, before a Lloris error allowed the ball to reach an alert Gerrard, who fired wide.
Moments later, the Liverpool midfielder was withdrawn after appearing to strain a hamstring in challenging Gourcuff. He was replaced by Crouch, who instantly volleyed in Young’s corner to give England hope, scoring his 22nd goal in 42 internationals in the process.
Nasri, the game’s outstanding player, had hit the post seconds before Crouch’s goal, but suddenly England were pressing for an unlikely, and undeserved equaliser.
Despite late pressure it never materialised, and England somewhat aptly end a 2010 that promised so much by tasting defeat.
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