Match Summary

England Team

Switzerland Team

Wayne Rooney inspired England to victory over a dogged Switzerland.  Rooney, 18, became the youngest player to score in a European Championship after he guided a header past Jörg Stiel from a Michael Owen cross. On the hour Bernt Haas was red-carded and soon after Rooney's rifled shot hit the post and richocheted off keeper Stiel's head into the net.  Late on Steven Gerrard arrived to score a third when he popped up to scoop home Gary Neville's cross from the right.  The early signs for England were distinctly unpromising as the players struggled to adapt to playing in temperatures above 30 degrees.

Sven-Göran Eriksson's side struggled to retain possession, while Switzerland looked dangerous probing England's left flank.  Even more worringly, a series of set-pieces taken by the left-footed Hakan Yakin gave England's defence all sorts of problems.  In that edgy opening phase, England's best attacking chance was Rooney's futile chase for a Frank Lampard pass, which ended up with the Everton youngster picking up a yellow card for his lunge at Swiss goalkeeper Stiel.

Completely against the run of the play, England took the lead.  Gerrard burst forward and, as he was tackled, he released the ball to David Beckham. The England captain quickly flighted a diagonal pass to Owen, who picked out Rooney with his cross and the youngster wrote himself into the history books with a powerful header. The goal served to sharpen England's passing and movement and just past the half-hour Ashley Cole's low cross from the left just eluded both Owen and Rooney.

Even so, the Swiss - prompted by Hakan Yakin's passing and vision - continued to probe a nervous English defence and just before the break the Stuttgart midfielder went close from another free-kick.  The introduction of youngster Daniel Gygax further pepped up Switzerland's attack.  However, just before the hour Koebi Kuhn's side suffered a blow when Haas was dismissed after he picked up two yellow cards in the space of 10 minutes.  Switzerland's hopes evaporated with Haas' sending off.

More good work from Rooney led to the Everton striker rattling the post with a rifled shot - an effort that landed up in the net after ricocheting off the unfortunate Stiel.  And in the closing stages Gerrard made it three when he forced Neville's cross past Stiel.

Source Notes