Tense times were amongst the English fans heading into this fixture especially after that indifferent showing in Barcelona against a minnow of a team Andorra.
The surprise inclusion of Walcott on the wing certainly shocked a few, but it yet again comes to show that big managers like Capello and Eriksson can defy all logic and choose a boy that has yet to establish himself as a regular at the Emirates.
The Heskey and Rooney partnership was obviously the only way to go as simply besides Rooney there are not any English strikers that can hold a candle to International level. However when the game started, the horror. Wayne was seen running all the way back to his own box and even gave away a clumsy freekick right at the edge of the box. The Rooney that most England fans hate to see was on display again.
The English defense was getting ripped apart by Srna's dribbling and errors from the two Chelsea defenders did not help in the mix. However their last ditch efforts meant that both sides was having a fairly toothless attacking display. The Croatian Magician, Luka Modric who was said to be the dangerman looked more like Lampard when he plays alongside Gerrard, totally overshadowed and forgotten. Srna was stealing the show in Croatian terms.
England had a couple of good chances with Heskey getting tackled to the ground in the box but the so called 'best' referee in Europe, Mr Michel, thought otherwise. Walcott now seemingly forgotten by Josip 'I'll hack you in half, but only get sent off after three yellow cards' Simunic, got a lucky rebound from a poor Croatian clearance slid the ball past Pletikosa like a seasoned professional. It was not totally against the run of play but neither can you say England looked anywhe
re near comfortable afterwards.
Joey Barton has a thing or two to learn from Simunic who continued to sit on a yellow by commit fouls by the dozen but only got a slap on the wrist.
It looked more like a matter of when not if for Simunic to get sent off, however his Captain Kovac went into a header but demonstrated that the ball wasn't the only thing he was going after. With half of Joe Cole's forehead on his elbow, Kovac was given his marching orders with little complaint from Bilic or the Croatian supporters.
The game changed from there onwards and the previously unnoticed Lampard came to life commanding the center of the pitch like he so often does at the Bridge. This inturn allowed Rooney to have the space up front with Heskey. There was no looking back, literally, Rooney didn't go any further back than the half way line after Kovac was dispatched home. Rooney who was much critised and rightfully so went out to redeem his name and showed that he has lost none of the promise that he gave in 2004. Rooney terrorised the Croatian defense with Heskey up front, it took all four Croatian defenders to mark them two creating acres of space for Walcott and Jenas on each flank. Going wide each time, Walcott slide wide and produced a carbon copy of his first goal bagging a second of the night, before some good work between Ashley Cole and Jenas put the ball on a plate for Rooney to slide home.
Lampard was unlucky to not get his name on the score sheet after Heskey was judged to be too big and strong for the Croatian defender who went down faster than Drogba. It would not been a memorable night if
Terry was not at war again with Srna millimetres away from decapitating the England Captain, the Croatian squared the ball for his teammate whose tidy finish prevented a mass evcuation from the Croatian fans too embarrassed to watch their own team.
It was always England's night, with commentators drawing comparisons with 'That' game in Munich some years back in which Owen bagged a Hattrick when playing alongside the now Wigan's pillar man. Walcott got on the end of a Rooney's special (pass that is) raced towards goal but seemed to take one too many touches, however like Eriksson who never doubted him, calmly finished to become England's youngest hattrick hero. He later said the reason why he took so long before shooting was because he apparently lost some studs on his right boot. Who can blame the boy?
All wrapped up at 1-4, Capello had that same smirk on his face Bilic had back at Wembley, knowing that all is not lost with England but that this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
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