England National Football Team Match No. 837

England 6 Jamaica 0  [4-0]

Saturday, 3 June 2006

Match Summary and Report

Match Summary

England Team

10th in FIFA ranking of 17 May 2006; 3rd in Elo world ranking before this match and =3rd after this match.

England Lineup

England Substitutes

4-4-2

Robinson (James) -
Carragher, Ferdinand, Terry (Campbell), A Cole (Bridge) -
Beckham (Lennon), Gerrard (Downing), Lampard (Carrick), J Cole -
Owen, Crouch.

Jamaica Team

46th in FIFA ranking of 17 May 2006; 51st in Elo world ranking before this match and 51st after this match.

Jamaica Lineup

Jamaica Substitutes

4-4-2

Ricketts -
Daley, Stewart, Davis, Reid -
Campbell-Ryce, Taylor (Crawford), Euell (Stephenson), Hue (Johnson) -
Shelton (Burton), Fuller (Bennett).

Match Report

 

A Peter Crouch hat-trick rounded off England's World Cup preparations in style with an easy win over Jamaica.  Frank Lampard swept England into an early lead, which was doubled by Jermaine Taylor's own goal.  Crouch scored England's third from a set-piece, before Michael Owen rounded keeper Donovan Ricketts to make it 4-0.  After tapping in the fifth from Jamie Carragher's cross, Crouch blazed a late penalty over the bar but completed his hat-trick from Owen's pass.

In his last game in charge on English soil, coach Sven-Göran Eriksson would have had mixed feelings on the physical work-out Jamaica were shaping to provide as Jermaine Taylor was booked for hauling Lampard down.  Lampard had his revenge, though, when he fired England ahead on 11 minutes.  Keeper Paul Robinson lumped a free-kick forward where Crouch rose to nod the ball down to Owen who helped it on for Lampard to end his perfectly-timed run with a crisp finish.  Another foul by Omar Daley on Joe Cole provided England with the opportunity to stretch their lead on 17 minutes, when Beckham whipped in the free-kick and as a clutch of players rose at the near post the ball deflected in off Taylor's head. 

An error from John Terry provided some employment for Robinson, who plunged to his right to beat away a shot from Jason Euell who took advantage of Terry's slip.  Jamaica were naive in their defending at set-pieces and Crouch escaped his marker to meet a Beckham corner, with his shot going in off Daley. 

England made it four on 31 minutes when Owen sprinted clear of a square back line to latch on to Rio Ferdinand's raking pass and round the keeper to score his 36th international goal for England.  Within minutes though, Terry left the field as a precaution with a tight hamstring, followed soon after by Ashley Cole with a tight thigh.  Confronted by the prospect of an embarrassing scoreline Jamaica abandoned their cavalier approach of the first half and their more disciplined approach saw them create half-chances for Fuller and substitute Deon Burton.

Crouch enjoyed an influential afternoon as the focal point of England's attacks and after deftly chesting the ball down for Joe Cole to fire wide he was on the spot to tap in England's fifth from Carragher's low cross.  The lanky Liverpool striker looked to have missed a chance to complete his hat-trick by chipping a late penalty over the bar after Owen had been brought down by Khari Stephenson.  But he accurately side-footed home Owen's pass to complete his hat-trick and round off England's afternoon.

Source Notes

Sources

TheReggaeBoyz.com

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CG