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Match No. 56 vs. Belarus Match No. 58 vs. B Team Results


England National Football Team Match No. 57

England B 3 Albania 1 [2-1]

Friday, 25 May 2007

Match Summary and Report

Match Summary and Report Team Records England B Pre-Match Albania Pre-Match

 

Match Summary
Status: 'B' International friendly
Venue: Turf Moor, Burnley, capacity 22,400 seats.
Attendance: 22,400 sell out
Goals: England - Alan Smith, 34th minute;
England - Stewart Downing, 37th minute;
Albania - Besart Berisha 44th minute;
England - Stewart Downing, 58th minute;
Cautions: None
Expulsions: None
Officials: Referee - Andrea De Marco, 34 (21-May-1973), FIFA-listed 2007, Italy,
Assistant referees - Luca Maggiani, 39 (09-Apr-1968) & Maurizio Liberti, Italy,
Fourth official - Chris Foy;
Conditions: Kickoff 8.00 p.m. BST;
Miscellany: The England team wore yellow ribbons in remembrance of missing 4-year-old toddler Madeleine McCann.
Statistics:

Type

England B

Albania
Goal Attempts - -
Attempts on Target - -
Hit Bar/Post - -
Corner Kicks Won - 1
Offside Calls Against - -
Fouls Conceded - -
Possession - -

England B Team
Colours: White shirts with red and navy trim, navy blue shorts with white trim, white stockings - The 2007 home uniform.
Coach: Steve McClaren, 45, appointed 4 May 2006, took post 1 August 2006, 
1st 'B' match, W 1 - D 0 - L 0 - F 3 - A 1.
Captain: Michael Owen

England B Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-Carson, Scott P. 03-Sep-1985 21 G Liverpool FC 2 0 2006-active
2-Neville, Philip J., sub off 46th min. 21-Jan-1977 30 D Everton FC 1 0 2007-active
3-Shorey, Nicholas, sub off 74th min. 19-Feb-1981 26 D Reading FC 1 0 2007-active
4-Barry, Gareth, sub off 64th min. 23-Feb-1981 26 D Aston Villa FC 1 0 2007-active
5-King, Ledley B. 12-Oct-1980 26 D Tottenham Hotspur FC 1 0 2007-active
6-Dawson, Michael R. 18-Nov-1983 23 D Tottenham Hotspur FC 2 0 2006-active
7-Bentley, David M., off 72nd min. 27-Aug-1984 22 M Blackburn Rovers FC 1 0 2007-active
8-Jenas, Jermaine A. 18-Feb-1983 24 M Tottenham Hotspur FC 2 1 2006-active
9-Smith, Alan, off 64th min. 28-Oct-1980 26 F Manchester United FC 1 1 2007-active
10-Owen, Michael J. 14-Dec-1979 26 F Newcastle United FC 2 0 2006-active
11-Lennon, Aaron J., off 10th min. 16-Apr-1987 20 M Tottenham Hotspur FC 2 0 2006-active

England B Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
17-Downing, Stewart, sub on 10th min. for Lennon 22-Jul-1984 22 M Middlesbrough FC 2 2 2006-active
12-Jagielka, Philip N., sub on 46th min. for Neville 17-Aug-1982 24 M Sheffield United FC 1 0 2007-active
16-Dyer, Kieron C., sub on 64th min. for Smith 29-Dec-1978 29 M Newcastle United FC 3 0 1998-active
14-Taylor, Steven, sub on 64th min. for Barry 23-Jan-1986 23 D Newcastle United FC 1 0 2007-active
18-Defoe, Jermain C., sub on 72nd min. for Bentley 07-Oct-1982 24 F Tottenham Hotspur FC 1 0 2007-active
15-Lescott, Joleon, sub on 74th min. for Shorey 16-Aug-1982 24 D Everton FC 1 0 2007-active
Formation:

4-4-2

Carson -
Neville (Jagielka), Dawson, King, Shorey (Lescott) -
Bentley (Defoe), Jenas, Barry (Taylor), Lennon (Downing) -
Smith (Dyer), Owen
Substitutes
Not Used:		 13-Robert Green, 19-David Nugent.

Albania Team
Colours: Red shirts with black trim, black shorts, black stockings; made by Umbro.
Coach: Otto Barić, 73, appointed June 2006;
Captain: Altin Haxhi

Albania Lineup
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
1-Beqaj, Arjan, sub off 79 min. 25-Aug-1975 31 G Anothorsis Famagusta FC 24 0 -active
21-Vangjeli, Kristi 05-Sep-1985 21 D FC Iraklis, Greece - - -active
3-Rustemaj, Blerim - - D Borussia VfL 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, Germany - - -active
4-Dede, Nevil T. 10-Jan-1975 32 D KF Tirana 20 0 -active
23-Haxhi, Altin, sub off 79 min. 17-Jan-1975 32 M PAE Ergotelis, Greece 60 2 -active
13-Skela, Ervin, sub off 75 min. 17-Nov-1986 20 F FC Energie Cottbus, Germany 23 5 -active
18-Bulku, Ervin 03-Mar-1981 26 D KS Dinamo Tirana 4 0 -active
8-Bushi, Alban, sub off 72 min. 20-Aug-1973 33 F PAE Apollon Kalamarias, Greece 61 14 -active
20-Mukaj, Devis, sub off 46th min. 21-Dec-1976 30 M KS Dinamo Tirana 35 0 -active
10-Duro, Klodian, sub off 66th min. 21-Dec-1977 29 M KS Dinamo Tirana 16 1 -active
11-Berisha, Besart 29-Jul-1985 21 F Hamburger Sport-Verein e. V., Germany 5 1 -active

Albania Substitutes
Player Birthdate Age Pos Club App G Career
7-Murati, Edvin, sob on 46th min. for Mukaj 12-Nov-1975 31 M GC Iraklis Thessaloniki 1908, Greece - - -active
24-Vrapi, Enri, sub on 64th min. for Duro - - M KF Teuta - - -active
15-Sinani, Vioresin, sub on 72nd min. for Bushi 11-Apr-1977 30 F KS Dinamo Tirana - - -active
19-Hyka, Jahmir, sub on 75th min. for Skela 03-Mar-1988 19 M Olympiacos CFP, Greece 2 0 2007-active
12-Hidi, Isli, sub on 79th min. for Beqaj 15-Oct-1980 26 G KS Dinamo Tirana 1 0 2007-active
17-Ahmataj, Julian, sub on 79th min. for Haxhi 24-May-1979 27 M KS Dinamo Tirana 1 0 2007-active
Formation:

4-5-1

-
Substitutes
Not Used:		 22-Daniel Xhafa.

Match Report

 

Michael Owen had a low-key return to international football as Stewart Downing guided England B to victory.  Besart Berisha hit the bar for Albania after a fine run before England scored twice in the space of three minutes.  Gareth Barry's touch set up Alan Smith, whose low shot arrowed into the corner and soon afterwards Downing pounced on goalkeeper Arjan Beqaj's mistake.  The impressive Berisha scored with a shot, but Downing made it 3-1 with an exquisite chip just before the hour.

Owen, who was playing for England for the first time since he was injured in last summer's World Cup, played the whole game.  His best opportunity came early on, when he side-footed Aaron Lennon's cross wide from a promising position.  Smith is another long-term England absentee, with the Manchester United forward last playing an international game 19 months ago.  But he gave England the lead with a low shot after he collected Barry's excellent lay-off.

Not long afterwards Albania goalkeeper Beqaj was unable to collect David Bentley's cross and Downing reacted quickly to drill the ball home.  Berisha was Albania's most accomplished performer and the Hamburg forward capped a fine performance with a goal, surging past Ledley King, before beating Scott Carson with a powerful shot.  Downing restored England's two-goal lead when he collected an Owen pass and cleverly dinked the ball over Beqaj.

 

Source Notes


Sources

BBCSport.com
AlbaniaSoccer.com

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CG