It was the precious moment that David Beckham thought would elude him forever and for Steve McClaren it was not too bad either. All 88,745 in the new Wembley Stadium on their feet in rapturous applause, a goal up against Brazil and the iconic former captain and embattled new manager reconciled in public. The Hollywood moment and then, as it always does with England, the plot began to unravel. Two minutes into injury time and McClaren was contemplating being the first England manager in 17 years to beat Brazil. In his new grey Marks & Spencer suit, on a warm June evening, life was looking up for this English everyman who would probably have settled just to not be booed by his own fans. And then Diego nodded in a soft equaliser in the 92nd minute and the English football nation was forced to reconsider whether this was indeed a new dawn or just more of the same disappointment.
New Wembley under the floodlights looks beautiful, Beckham curling a free-kick for John Terry to nod in at the back post looks even better especially against this calibre of opposition. At times even Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard seemed to co-exist effectively in midfield and for a while that Euro 2008 qualifier against Estonia on Wednesday which will decide McClaren's future did not look so daunting after all.
Brazil's equaliser was no disaster there is no shame in drawing with Kaka, Ronaldinho and Robinho but it was enough to remind us that McClaren still toils for a solution to make this side look like the sum of its parts. Beckham was influential, but not throughout the match, Gerrard accepted the role of holding midfielder with grit and determination and it was him, rather than the old grandstander in the No 7 shirt, who really excelled.
McClaren substituted Terry with 17 minutes left of the match and the England captain has a slight hamstring strain which should not rule him out of the Estonia game. It was a pity that his Chelsea team-mate Lampard cannot be forgiven by those whose skewed judgement of the last World Cup means they think it is appropriate to boo the midfielder. Substitute Wes Brown's cameo at right-back was a real disaster, his slip almost let in Afonso for a goal before the equaliser.
For those who prefer their football drama simplified, this was a night to roar at every mention of Beckham's name. It was upon him the television cameras lingered as he waited in the tunnel before the match as the collective amnesia that afflicts the English public when it comes to their national team took grip. He was impressive for most of the first half and he looked good around the time England scored but he is definitely not the answer to all this team's problems.
Beckham clipped a ball from the right side to meet Owen's diagonal run, he spun with the ball and drew a clumsy foul from Naldo, the Brazilian centre-back. On 29 minutes Beckham curled a shot out of goalkeeper Helton's reach but wide of the right post. Then you could have been watching England at any point over the last six years: Beckham striking all the dead balls and hitting most of them heroically wide.
Kaka looked dangerous and was the subject of a brilliant stretching tackle from Gerrard in the 28th minute as he bore down on goal. Ronaldinho flickered and in the first 10 minutes of the first half England did well not to be overwhelmed. They owed that to the tireless tackling of Gerrard and some good interventions from Terry. Jamie Carragher adapted as best he could at right-back and Nicky Shorey was solid if unspectacular on the other side.
McClaren persisted with Smith until just after the hour which was 15 minutes too long, before he changed his side with Kieron Dyer and Stewart Downing. England brightened and Downing struck a rising shot that Helton had to tip over the bar for his first real save of the match. Seconds later Beckham cut across the face of the area and flicked a ball into the box that Owen could not direct properly with his header. Beckham's influence was creeping back into the game.
On 66 minutes his moment came. It was not quite as Beckham will have imagined it in those long 10 months on the outside of international football but he played a central role none the less. His free-kick from the right was immaculately struck, curving to the back post where Terry arrived decisively to head the ball past Helton. There was blissful relief for McClaren. For Terry the first England goal at Wembley and one always destined to be remembered for the man who crossed it rather than the man who scored it. Beckham's exit centre-stage was prolonged and dramatic although by then Brazil were threatening a goal. It came late Diego stretched to head in Gilberto Silva's cross and was hard on Paul Robinson who played well.
England (4-4-2): Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur); Carragher (Liverpool), Terry (Chelsea), King (Tottenham), Shorey (Reading); Beckham (Real Madrid), Gerrard (Liverpool), Lampard (Chelsea), J Cole (Chelsea); Smith (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle United). Substitutes used: Dyer (Newcastle United) for Smith, 62; Downing (Middlesbrough) for J Cole, 62; Brown (Manchester United) for Terry, 72; Jenas (Tottenham) for Beckham, 77; Crouch (Liverpool) for Owen, 83; Carrick (Manchester United) for Lampard, 88.
Brazil (4-2-2-2): Helton (Porto); Alves (Seville) Naldo (Werder Bremen), Juan (Bayer Leverkusen), Gilberto (Hertha Berlin); Mineiro (Hertha Berlin), Gilberto Silva (Arsenal); Kaka (Milan), Ronaldinho (Barcelona); Robinho (Real Madrid), Wagner Love (CSKA Moscow). Substitutes used: Edmilson (Barcelona) for Mineiro, 63; Maicon (Internazionale) for Alves, 65; Afonso (Heerenveen) for Kaka, 71; Diego (Werder Bremen) for Robinho, 74.
Referee: M Merk (Germany).
Sent by Pwagu na Pwaguzi:
pwagu.na.pwaguzi@oslo.online.no
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