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Match No. 805 vs. Croatia Match No. 807 vs. Liechtenstein Match Results


England National Football Team Match No. 806

Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 1 England 2 [1-0]

Saturday, 6 September 2003

Match Summary and Report

Match Summary and Report Team Records Macedonia Pre-Match England Pre-Match

 

Match Summary
Status: European Championship 2004 Preliminary Group 7 qualification match.
Venue: Gradski Stadion, Skopje, capacity 30,300.
Attendance: 20,500.
Goals: Macedonia - Georgi Hristov, 27th min.
England - Wayne Rooney, 53rd min.
England - David Beckham, 63rd min. penalty.
Cautions: Macedonia  - Ilco Naomoski, 2nd min., unsporting behaviour.
England - Sol Campbell, 24th min., unsporting behaviour.
England - David Beckham, 42nd min., unsporting behaviour.
Macedonia - Aguinaldo Braga de Jesus, 65th min., unsporting behaviour.
Macedonia - Georgi Hristov, 69th min., unsporting behaviour.
Macedonia - Artim Sakiri, 90th+1 min., unsporting behaviour.
Expulsions: None.
Officials: Referee - Frank de Bleeckere, 37 (01-Jul-1966), Belgium, FIFA-listed 1998.
Assistant referees - Roland van Nylen, Belgium, & unknown.
Fourth official - Serge Gumienny, Belgium.
Conditions: Kickoff at 6.30 p.m. local time, 5.30 p.m. BST.
Miscellany: Wayne Rooney becomes the youngest ever England goalscorer at 17 years, 317 days.
Statistics:

Type

FYR Macedonia

England
Goal Attempts - -
Attempts on Target - -
Hit Bar/Post - -
Corner Kicks Won - -
Offside Calls Against - -
Fouls Conceded - -
Time of Possession - -
Statistics:

-

FYR Macedonia Team
Ranking:

86th in FIFA ranking of 27 August 2003; 96th in Elo world ranking before this match and 97th after this match.

Colours: Red shirts, red shorts, red stockings; made by Puma.
Coach: Dragan Kanatlarovski, 43, coach of FK Pobeda, appointed interim coach 12 August 2003.
Captain: Artim Sakiri.

FYR Macedonia Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-Milosevski, Petar 06-Dec-1973 29 G

Malatyaspor, Turkey

 - - 1998-active
2-Stavrevski, Goran 02-Jan-1974 29 D Diyarbakırspor, Turkey - - 1998-active
3-Grozdanovski, Vlatko, sub off 65th min. 30-Jan-1983 20 D FC Vardar Skopje - - -active
4-Pandev, Goran, sub off 48th min. 27-Jul-1983 20 M FC Internazionale Milano, Italy, on loan to Ancona Calcio, Italy - - -active
5-Mitrevski, Igor 19-Feb-1979 24 M Spartak Moskva, Russia - - -active
6-Stojanovski, Milan 16-Sep-1973 29 D Partizan Beograde, Serbia & Montenegro - - 1997-active
7-Trajanov, Vanco  09-Aug-1978 25 M Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Bulgaria - - -active
8-Šumulikoski, Velice  24-Apr-1981 22 M FC Rubin Kazan, Russia - - -active
9-Hristov, Georgi, sub off 88th min. 30-Jan-1976 27 F FC Zwolle, Netherlands - - 1995-active
10-Sakiri, Artim  23-Sep-1973 29 F West Bromwich Albion FC, England - - 1996-active
11-Naumoski, Ilco 29-Jul-1973 30 F Sturm Graz AK, Austria - - -active

FYR Macedonia Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
13-Gjuzelov,  Igor, sub on 48th min. for Pandev 02-Apr-1976 27 D

Metalurg Donezk, Ukraine

 - - 1998-active
14-Braga de Jesus, Aguinaldo sub on 65th min. for Grozdanovski 09-Aug-1974 29 D FC Vardar Skopje - - -active
16-Dimitrovski, Draganco,  sub on 88th min. for Hristov 26-Jul-1977 26 M FC Pobeda Prilep - - -active
Formation:

3-5-2
Milosevski -
Stojanovski, Mitrevsi, Stavrevski -
Grozdanovski (Braga de Jesus), Trajanov, Pandev (Gjuzelov), Šumulikoski, Sakiri -
Naumoski, Hristov (Dimitrovski).
Substitutes
Not Used:		 12-Jane Nikoloski, 15-Dimitar Kapinkovski, 17-Pance Cumbev, 18-Slavco Georgievski.

England Team
Ranking:

6th in FIFA ranking of 27 August 2003; 5th in Elo world ranking before this match and 6th after this match.

Colours: White shirts with red trim, navy blue shorts, white stockings.  The 2003 "home" uniform.
Coach: Sven-Göran Eriksson, 55, appointed 31 October 2000, took post 12 January 2001, 
31st match, W 18 - D 9 - L 4 - F 60 - A 29.
Captain: David Beckham, 26th captaincy.

England Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-James, David B. 01-Aug-1970 33 G

West Ham United FC

 18 0 1997-active
2-Neville, Gary A. 18-Feb-1975 28 D Manchester United FC 58 0 1999-active
3-Cole, Ashley 20-Dec-1980 22 D Arsenal FC 21 0 2001-active
4-Hargreaves, Owen L. 20-Jan-1981 22 M FC Bayern München AG, Germany 14 0 2001-active
5-Terry, John G. 07-Dec-1980 22 D Chelsea FC 3 0 2003-active
6-Campbell, Sulzeer J. 18-Sep-1974 28 D Arsenal FC 55 1 1996-active
7- Beckham, David R.J. 02-May-1975 28 M Real Madrid CF, Spain 62 13 1996-active
8-Lampard, Frank J., sub off 46th min. 21-Jun-1978 25 M Chelsea FC 13 1 1999-active
9- Rooney, Wayne M., sub off 75th min. 24-Oct-1985 17 F Everton FC 6 1 2003-active
10-Owen, Michael J., sub off 85th min. 14-Dec-1979 23 F Liverpool FC 52 23 1998-active
11-Butt, Nicholas 21-Jan-1975 28 M Manchester United FC 29 0 1997-active

England Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
18-Heskey, Emile W.I., sub on 46th min. for Lampard 11-Jan-1978 22 M Liverpool FC 36 5 1999-active
12-Neville, Philip J., sub on 75th min. for Rooney 21-Jan-1977 26 D Manchester United FC 42 0 1996-active
16-Dyer, Kieron C., sub on 85th min. for Owen 29-Dec-1978 24 M Newcastle United FC 18 0 1999-active
Formation: 4-4-2
James -
G Neville, Terry, Campbell, Cole - 
Butt, Beckham, Lampard (Heskey), Hargreaves -
Rooney (P Neville), Owen (Dyer).
Substitutes
Not Used:		 13-Paul Robinson, 14-Wayne Bridge, 15-Matthew Upson, 17-Joe Cole,

Match Report

 

Wayne Rooney re-wrote the history books to become England's youngest scorer as Sven-Göran Eriksson's side came from behind to win the crucial Euro 2004 qualifier in Macedonia.  England were in desperate need of inspiration after former Barnsley striker Georgi Hristov punished a woeful first-half display to give Macedonia a deserved lead.  But Everton's Rooney equalised early in the second half - and captain David Beckham kept alive England's hopes of automatic qualification for next summer's finals with the winner from the penalty spot.

It was a night of glory for Rooney, who opened his England account at the tender age of 17 years and 317 days to beat Michael Owen's record.  England coach Eriksson also deserves credit for a bold attacking formation in the second half - but once again he will be concerned by a dreadful defensive display.   Eriksson responded to England's shambolic opening 45 minutes by sending on Emile Heskey for Frank Lampard - and his tactical switch paid off handsomely.  England's seventh straight win, which equalled their post-war record, was marred by incidents off the pitch as well as racist chanting from the crowd in Skopje.

Beckham was, as expected, declared fit after a minor groin strain and Rooney partnered Owen in attack.  Macedonia were in uncompromising mood and emphasised the fact with a series of early tackles which saw Ilco Naumoski booked for foul on Nicky Butt in the opening seconds.  And England had a narrow escape after 12 minutes when Lampard conceded possession and Macedonia captain Artim Sakiri was harshly adjudged offside when he was clean through on goal.  But England failed to heed the warning signs and Macedonia deservedly took the lead in the 26th minute.

It was a catalogue of defensive disaster for England, with Gary Neville starting the rot by playing Macedonia onside.  And when Vlatko Grozdanovski's cross was hopelessly misjudged by Sol Campbell, Hristov was on hand to score after Goran Pandev's shot was blocked.  England were unable to establish any sort of foothold, with attacking opportunities virtually non-existent.

It had been a desperate opening 45 minutes - and Eriksson made a vital change at the interval.  Heskey replaced Lampard as Eriksson went for a three-pronged strike force.  And it was rewarded almost instantly when Heskey nodded down Beckham's pass for Rooney to beat Milosevski from 20 yards.  And the game was turned around completely on the hour when England went ahead.  John Terry was floored by Macedonia substitute Braga and Beckham scored expertly from the spot.

Braga almost made amends with 20 minutes left when he cut inside the struggling Ashley Cole, but saw his shot deflected on to the top of the net by Campbell. 

Source Notes

Sources

 BBC Sport

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CG/PY