United States set to target Wayne Rooney’s tamper in opening match
America’s football team is planning to capitalize on Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney’s short temper in their opening game against England. Four years after being sent out of the last World Cup in Germany, Rooney and his notorious short temper is attracting the attention of many officials and referees participating in the World Cup in Africa.
Rooney was again in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons as he was booked in England’s match against the Platinum Stars – a local club team. England won that match with a solid performance of 3-1. However, it was not the England win which was the focus of newspaper headlines. Instead, it was the booking of Rooney by referee Jeff Selogilwe which created the uproar in the British press. Referee Selogilwe alleged that Rooney swore at him along with other indecent remarks. This imbroglio has occurred just four days before England starts its campaign against the United States of America. It will be England’s first big match since the 2006 quarter-finals loss against Portugal where Rooney was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho and arguing with former Manchester United team mate Christiano Ronaldo.
United States will be looking to capitalize on Rooney’s hot temperament to gain leverage in their match against England. And they would be more than happy if the Manchester United forward explodes in Rustenburg. Jay Demerit, who captains English club Watford, believes that United States can easily take advantage of Rooney’s temper.
“You try to make his day difficult and if a guy has as much fire as he has then maybe those kinds of things come out. Its not necessarily something you try to do because then you are thinking of the wrong things when it comes to on-the-field activities,” said Demerit.
On the other hand, United States’ midfielder Stuart Holden, who also plays for Bolton, has been able to scrutinize Rooney’s game while recovering from a leg injury at his club in north-west England. According to Holden, Rooney plays the game with utmost focus and determination.
“He’s a player who gives it all on the pitch. He is very committed. I think sometimes he wants to win so badly that he goes into challenges that he thinks he can win,” said Holden. Currently, Holden is with the United States team who are training at their base camp on a farm in Irene near Pretoria.
After Rooney’s booking against Platinum Stars on Monday, the English press is questioning whether Rooney is an asset for England or liability. English newspaper Sun and Daily Mail both have criticized the temperament of the English star. Even the referee who booked Rooney also suggests that the England forward needs to learn to control his temper. According to Selogilwe, Rooney is a good player when people watch him on TV. However, on the pitch, it is Rooney’s age-old habit to insult referees.
He not only insults referees but also heats up some unnecessary competitor with his own players. Rooney has travelled to South Africa after being plagued by injuries that kept him on the sidelines, especially in the later part of the season. His absence cost dearly to Manchester United as the English club failed to defend its Premier League title and missed out on the Champions League title as well. However, Rooney‘s form is matchless as he scored more than 30 goals in the last season. And Capello would be relying on Rooney to steer the English attack.
With the midfield strength in form of Gerard and Lampard, it would be on the shoulders of Rooney to convert chances into goals.
On the other hand, the Americans will be looking to prevent Rooney from breaching their defensive setup. And they would use any tactic to upset the English forward. It will also be the responsibility of English Captain Frank Lampard to show his leadership skills and prevent any replay of the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals. Lampard will be assuming responsibility of captaincy in the absence of Rooney’s Manchester United team mate Rio Ferdinand who was sent home after he sustained a calf injury during a training session. It will be interesting to see on June 12 whether Rooney can control his temper and steer England towards victory or his short temperament become the Achilles heel for the English team.
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