England National Football Team Match No. 843

England 4 Greece 0 [4-0]

Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Match Summary and Report

Old Trafford, Manchester, 16 August 2006 - The team that faced Greece.
Ashley Cole, Stewart Downing, Peter Crouch, Owen Hargreaves, Jermain Defoe, Frank Lampard,
Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Paul Robinson, John Terry (captain).
 

Match Summary

England Team

5th in FIFA ranking of 16 August 2006; 5th in Elo world ranking before this match and 5th after this match.

England Lineup

England Substitutes

4-4-2

Robinson (Kirkland) -
Neville (Carragher), Ferdinand, Terry, Cole (Bridge) -
Gerrard (Bent), Hargreaves, Lampard, Downing (Lennon) -
Defoe (Richardson), Crouch.

Greece Team

32nd in FIFA ranking of 16 August 2006; 23rd in Elo world ranking before this match and 23rd after this match.

Greece Lineup

Greece Substitutes

Match Report

 

England made a flying start under new boss Steve McClaren with a four-goal first-half blast to beat Greece.  John Terry marked his first match as captain by nodding in the opening goal after Stewart Downing had headed the ball into the penalty area.  Frank Lampard then scored with a deflected shot and soon after it was his close-range effort which rebounded for Peter Crouch to stab home.  Crouch rounded off the scoring with a downward header into the top corner.

The Liverpool striker scored a hat-trick against Jamaica the last time England played at Old Trafford.  And he could have repeated the feat had he got on the end of a teasing low cross from Downing.  Crouch also steered a Steven Gerrard cross wide of the upright when he might have tucked the ball away.  Gerrard provided good width throughout for England in his role on the right, where former captain David Beckham has played for so long.  He was also able to cut inside, and it was his powerful burst through the centre which led to Crouch's second goal.

And there were other bright performances for England, from the tenacious patrolling of Owen Hargreaves in the holding role, to the return to goalscoring form of Lampard.  One Hargreaves tackle on the edge of his area was outstanding and his man of the match display woud have further impressed Manchester United, who are reportedly ready to pay £13m to sign him. 

But for McClaren, although it was a good result, his first match in charge since taking over from Sven-Göran Eriksson was not the sternest test.  Greece barely managed a shot in the first half and England were fully in control. 

However, it took two superb second-half clearances off the line from Ashley Cole to ensure the McClaren era begun with a shut-out.  And substitute keeper Chris Kirkland dived well to his right to palm away a decent Giorgios Karagounis strike.  Substitute Aaron Lennon looked lively when he came on late in the second half - and Jermain Defoe, on from the start, also showed good touches.

Overall McClaren will be delighted with the win and the performance.  And it should be remembered that he has Wayne Rooney, Joe Cole and Michael Owen to come back.  The McClaren evolution - in which he has promised the team will play without fear - has made a good impression after 90 minutes.

But he will need to help England improve their ability to defend set-pieces if the signs of promise are to be fulfilled.

 

Source Notes

Sources

 BBC Sport
Greek Football Federation

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CG