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Match No. 806 vs. FYR Macedonia Match No. 808 vs. Turkey Match Results


England National Football Team Match No. 807

England 2 Liechtenstein 0 [0-0]

Wednesday, 10 September 2003

Match Summary and Report

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

 

Match Summary

Status: European Championship 2004 Preliminary Group 7 qualification match.
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, capacity 68,936.
Attendance: 64,931.
Goals: England - Michael Owen, 46th min.
England - Wayne Rooney, 52nd min.
Cautions: Liechtenstein - Martin Stocklasa, 20th min., unsporting behaviour.
Liechtenstein -
Peter Jehle, 29th min., unsporting behaviour.
Liechtenstein - Andreas Gerster, 55th min., unsporting behaviour.
England - Wayne Bridge, 59th min., unsporting behaviour.
Expulsions: None.
Officials: Referee - Knud Erik Fisker, 42 (17-Sep-1960), Denmark, FIFA-listed 1994.
Assistant referees - Bill
René Hansen, 40 (15-Mar-1963), and Jorgen Jepsen, 41 (30-Sep-1961), Denmark.
Fourth official - Emil Laursen, 32 (23-Sep-1970), Denmark, FIFA-listed 2002.
Note: The Football Association name the referee as Knud Erik.  Other significant sources make mention of a surname.
Conditions: Kickoff at 8:00 p.m. BST.
Miscellany: -
Statistics:

Type

England

Liechtenstein

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

-

England Team

Ranking:

8th in FIFA ranking of 27 August 2003; 6th in Elo world ranking before this match and 6th after this match.

Colours: White shirts with red trim, white shorts, white stockings -  The 2003 "home" shirt.
Coach: Sven-Göran Eriksson, 55, appointed 31 October 2000, took post 12 January 2001, 
32nd match, W 19 - D 9 - L 4 - F 62 - A 29.
Captain: David Beckham, 27th captaincy.

England Lineup

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

West Ham United FC

19 0 1997-active
2-Neville, Gary A. 18-Feb-1975 28 D Manchester United FC 59 0 1999-active
3-Bridge, Wayne M. 05-Aug-1980 23 D Chelsea FC 14 0 2002-active
4-Gerrard, Steven G., sub off 58th min. 30-May-1980 23 M Liverpool FC 20 3 2000-active
5-Terry, John G. 07-Dec-1980 22 D Chelsea FC 4 0 2003-active
6-Upson, Matthew J. 18-Apr-1979 24 D Birmingham City FC 5 1 2003-active
7-Beckham, David R.J., sub off 58th min. 02-May-1975 28 M Real Madrid CF, Spain 63 13 1996-active
8-Lampard, Frank J. 20-Jun-1978 25 M Chelsea FC 14 1 1999-active
9- Rooney, Wayne M., sub off 70th min. 24-Oct-1985 17 F Everton FC 7 2 2003-active
10- Owen, Michael J. 14-Dec-1979 23 F Liverpool FC 53 24 1998-active
11-Beattie, James S. 27-Feb-1978 25 F Southampton FC 4 0 2003-active

England Substitutes

Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
12-Neville, Philip J., sub on 58th min. for Gerrard 21-Jan-1977 26 D Manchester United FC 43 0 1996-active
15-Hargreaves, Owen L., sub on 58th min. for Beckham 20-Jan-1981 23 M FC Bayern München AG, Germany 15 0 2001-active
17-Cole, Joseph J., sub on 70th min. for Rooney 08-Nov-1981 21 M Chelsea FC 12 1 2001-active
Formation: 4-3-1-2
James -
G Neville, Terry, Upson, Bridge - 
Beckham (Hargreaves), Gerrard (P Neville), Lampard -
Rooney (Cole) -
Owen, Beattie.
Substitutes
Not Used:
13-Paul Robinson, 14-Sol Campbell, 16-Kieron Dyer, 18-Emile Heskey.

Liechtenstein Team

Ranking:

145th in FIFA ranking of 27 August 2003; 177th in Elo world ranking before this match and 176th after this match.

Colours: Blue shirts, blue shorts, blue stockings; made by Adidas.
Coach: Walter Hörmann, Coach of FC Vaduz. Caretaker coach, appointed August 2003, to take charge of Liechtenstein's final 3 European qualification matches. 3rd match, W 0 - D 1 - L 2 - F 2 - A 7.
Captain: Daniel Hasler.

Liechtenstein Lineup

Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-Jehle, Peter 22-Jan-1982 21 G Grasshopper Club Zürich, Switzerland 31 0 -active
2-Telser, Martin 16-Oct-1978 24 D FC Vaduz 41 1 -active
3-Stocklasa, Michael, sub off 46th min. 02-Dec-1980 22 D FC Vaduz 31 1 -active
4-Hasler, Daniel 18-May-1974 29 D FC Vaduz 50 1 -active
5-Ritter, Christoff 18-Jan-1981 22 D Chur 97, Switzerland 24 0 -active
6-Stocklasa, Martin 29-May-1979 24 M FC Vaduz 39 4 -active
7-Beck, Roger, sub off 57th min. 03-Aug-1983 20 F VfB Hohenems, Austria 3 1 -active
8-Gerster, Andreas 24-Nov-1982 20 M FC Vaduz 15 0 -active
9-D'Elia, Fabio, sub off 73rd min. 19-Jan-1983 20 M FC Vaduz 14 0 -active
10-Frick, Mario 07-Sep-1974 28 F Ternana Calcio, Italy 44 5 -active
11-Burgmeier, Franz 07-Apr-1982 21 M FC Vaduz 13 2 -active

Liechtenstein Substitutes

Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
14-Maierhofer, Sandro, sub on 46th min. for Michael Stocklasa 31-May-1985 18 D FC Balzers 3 0 -active
16-Beck, Thomas, sub on 57th min. for R Beck 21-Feb-1981 22 F FC Chiasso, Switzerland 28 0 -active
17-Büchel, Ronny, sub on 73rd min. for D'Elia 19-Mar-1982 21 M Chur 97, Switzerland 22 0 -active
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Jehle -
Telser, Hasler, Ritter, Martin Stocklasa (Maierhofer) - 
Michael Stocklasa, Gerster -
R Beck (T Beck), Frick, Burgmeier -
D'Elia (B
üchel).
Substitutes
Not Used:
12-Martin Heeb, 13-Jürgen Ospelt, 15-Matthias Beck, 18-Franz-Josef Vogt.

Match Report

 

Wayne Rooney dragged England to the top of Group Seven by inspiring Sven-Göran Eriksson's side to victory over stubborn Liechtenstein at Old Trafford.  The teenage striker scored his second goal in as many games after helping set up Michael Owen for England's opener in the first minute of the second half.  Victory moved Eriksson's side above Turkey and ensures that a draw in Istanbul next month would be enough to send England to next summer's Euro 2004 finals in Portugal.

But the performance was far from convincing as England yet again had to rely on a strong second-half showing - and a remarkable contribution from Rooney - to ensure a victory that had appeared inevitable.  Eriksson resisted the temptation to rest David Beckham and Steven Gerrard, despite yellow cards and the threat of suspension in Turkey hanging over their heads.  But even with their talismanic duo included in midfield, England lacked a spark of invention against the most ordinary of international opponents.

In fact, much of England's pedestrian lethargy may have been precisely because of the pair's fear of making a challenge that could have grounded them for the trip to Istanbul.  Despite the first-half frustrations, England always looked likely to crack open a Liechtenstein defence which proved obdurate but appeared to be playing on borrowed time.  But for all the experience in England's starting line-up, it was Everton youngster Rooney who gradually and methodically picked Liechtenstein apart.

The 17-year-old forward, playing in a deep-lying role behind Owen and James Beattie, was a constant menace to the visiting defence.  He saw a first-time shot fly over early on then had a clever looping header well tipped over by the alert Liechtenstein keeper Peter Jehle.  Despite England's struggle to break the international minnows down, Jehle remained the busiest Liechtenstein player.  And when England did find a way past him, they were denied by the crossbar.

First, Beckham saw a sweeping far-post effort brush the bar after a fine left-wing run and cross by the effervescent Rooney, then James Beattie slammed an effort against the woodwork after chesting down Beckham's cross.  In between, Rooney fizzed a spectacular overhead kick over the bar and Owen fired wide of an open goal after Jehle had fumbled under a hefty challenge from Beattie.  It appeared only a matter of time before England made the breakthrough.

And the crucial goal arrived in the opening minute of the second half as Rooney teed up Gerrard for a cross which was flicked home by the head of Owen with Jehle stranded.  Owen's goal, his 24th in 53 England internationals, took him level with Sir Geoff Hurst in England's all-time goalscoring top 10.   But still England's current top scorer could not upstage Rooney, who sealed victory with a fine goal six minutes after Owen's breakthrough.  Beckham superbly found Gerrard at the far post and the Liverpool midfielder's lay-back was joyfully swept home by a grateful Rooney. 

With victory assured, Eriksson withdrew Beckham and Gerrard from the threat of a yellow peril and England effectively settled for what they had.  The result set an England post-war record of eight successive victories and, remarkably, means Eriksson's side have now scored twice in all 13 major qualifying games the Swede has taken charge of.  Yet the more important statistic remains England's current position in the Group Seven table and the knowledge that Eriksson's men are a single point from Portugal 2004.

 

Source Notes

Sources

BBC Sport

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CG/PY