I went to Wembley with Amer, Apiq and Kat to watch the friendly match between England and Egypt. Headed there straight from work, meeting them at Marylbone station along the way.
I must say, Wembley is huge! Humongously huge. Yeah, I know, incorrect grammar but the stadium’s really big. And it looks good too. Inside, the atmosphere was great. We were in the home fans section but there were a few Egyptian supporters who seems to be a bit sesat sitting there as well with a huge Egyptian flag.
The funny thing was that when Egypt scored the first goal, there was another group of fans leaping for joy near us in the home fans section! However, I didn’t see them getting told off or jeered at. But then England scored 3 goals in the second half, so the celebrations were much much louder.
We had good seats because even though we were at the top section, our seats were in the front row so we had a really good view. Plus, all the goals were scored near where we sat. In the first half, Egypt scored a goal while England scored 3 in the second half.
Here’s what I think of the England players’ performance, with scores out of 10 in brackets:
1 – Robert Green (6)
Had an ok game. He produced a confident display and will probably be England’s first choice keeper in the World Cup. Oh now I know what the keeper does while play is at the other end of the field. Jumping around feeling bored I guess.
2 – Wes Brown (7)
Pretty solid display. Defended well and also produced some good crosses. Had a few bad passes as well though.
3 – Leighton Baines (6)
He was ok overall. He did try to create space on the left flank but it seems that nobody wanted to pass the ball to him. When he did get the ball near the opposition’s penalty box (which was passed to him by Milner might I add), he crossed the ball which indirectly helped Wright-Phillips to score England’s second goal. Defensively, he is ok but lacking in pace.
4 – Steven Gerrard (5)
Not a very convincing display from the Liverpool midfielder. He lacked the energy that he usually displays for his club. Maybe it was a friendly, but he should show more effort in chasing the ball.
5 – Matthew Upson (5)
He was a bit shaky in the beginning, probably due to nervousness. It was his slip that let Zidan go through and score Egypt’s goal.
6 – John Terry (7)
His first kick was quite bad but improved throughout the game. The boo boys were on him in the beginning but it died down in the end. Good defensive work.
7 – Theo Walcott (4)
He was quite inefficient. It seems that he doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the ball. He’s fast but wasn’t very good as England’s right winger.
8 – Frank Lampard (5)
Played ok but not up to his usual standard. Missed two sitters in front of goal. His passing was ok I guess.
9 – Jermain Defoe (6)
Had some good runs, but he didn’t seem to click with Rooney. I think he’ll be one of England’s main bench warmer if Rooney stays fit throughout the World Cup.
10 – Wayne Rooney (7)
Had a few sparks here and there. Was a bit more effective in the second half after Crouch and Carrick came on, but not as amazing as he should be. All of England would want him to stay injury-free for the World Cup.
11 – Gareth Barry (7)
Had a good game. Did his job well, helping the back four.
The subs:
20 – Peter Crouch (8)
Man of the match performance. Was at the right place at the right time. Connected well with Rooney but not with Carlton Cole. Had several smart flicks and good passes. Did some defending as well during set-pieces.
15 – Michael Carrick (7)
Had a better game than Lampard whom he replaced. Lots of good passes.
19 – Shaun Wright-Phillips (8)
Much much better than Walcott on the right wing. Really fast and quite intelligent with the ball. He set up England’s first goal and scored the second.
13 – James Mliner (8)
England seemed to have more pace after he came on. Played well on the left wing, which was mostly empty before he was on the pitch. Roamed to the right a few times as well.
22 – Carlton Cole (6)
Didn’t have much time to have an impact on the game but was ok nevertheless.
Wow that’s a bit long. I can’t comment on Egypt’s players because I only know 1 or 2 of them. To me, their best player was Mohamed Zidan. Not only did he score their only goal, he was also a real threat to England and outpaced the defenders many times.
Overall, England didn’t actually play very well, but they did play better during the second half. Crouch’s performance could earn him a starting position a few games in the World Cup. Come on England! =)
