England vs. Austria Live!
England take on the weaker of the two hosts of next year's Euro 2008 tournament today. Yes, it's a fairly meaningless exercise in and of itself; however, with the big one coming up next Wednesday against Croatia, it'll be a good indication of the morale in the camp and the way Steve McClaren will set up for that match.
Follow it with me, eh?
posted by gatorbob @ 2:18 PM
86 Comments:
FSC has been showing U21 qualifier between England and Bulgaria, which is wrapping up with an easy victory for England due to goals from Gabby Agbonlahor and a penalty from James Milner. It's their fifth successive win and begs the question - especially if England fails in its qualifying bid - whether the next England manager should shift some of the old boys out and blood some of these kids, especially Agbonlahor, Milner, Derbyshire and Walcott.
Team news for England - Steve McClaren hands a debut to goalkeeper Scott Carson, who replaces Paul Robinson for the friendly with Austria. Is this an indication of his plans for Wednesday?
Crouchie will pair up with Mikey Owen up front today. Lampard will replace Barry, for no apparent reason, and will no doubt get bottled up with Stevie G. in midfield. Becks gets his 98th cap today.
And they've kicked off in Vienna.
Frank Lampard finds Micah Richard down the right flank and he wins the first corner of the game. Becks takes it but it's cleared out.
Scotty Carson gets a good, confident first touch, catching an Austrian cross.
Joe Cole coughs up the ball thirty yards from goal and puts some pressure on the back four.
Austria are having an alarming amount of possession early on, Lescott clearing out under pressure on the right.
Michael Owen and Richards combine well on the right before Peter Crouch is crowded out on the edge of the box.
A second Beckham corner comes of nothing. Is this what he flew from LA for? Where's Aaron Lennon when we need him?
Fifteen minutes in and England are finding it difficult to create anything here as Austria are playing a defensive formation, looking to hit the visitors on the counter-attack.
I haven't heard Gerrard's name mentioned yet. When will McClown learn that he and Lamps can't play together?
Owen is brought down on the edge of the box but the referee plays advantage allowing Lampard to go for goal. The shot is well blocked by Schiemer. Shame we didn't get the free kick.
Beckham's cross from the right is blocked by Weissenberger and England win a third corner. Becks takes and Richards heads just wide of goal. Close thing.
Morocco has taken a shock lead against their old colonial masters France ahead of a crucial week of qualifiers for Les Bleus.
The England fans are getting right behind their side but as yet they have yet to create a clear-cut opportunity despite dominating possession.
Macho fumbles Beckham's low cross but the ball falls just behind Peter Crouch and Austria survive. Bugger!
It's obvious the role that Becks has been called up for - supplying crosses to Peter Crouch.
Beckham delivers a superb through ball from deep and Gercaliu has to clear for a corner to prevent Crouch getting on the end of it.
The stretcher's out for the Austrian keeper after he clashed with the giraffe-like Crouchie on that last play.
The goalkeeper is stretchered off and he will be replaced former Arsenal man Alex Manninger. I can't believe that Manninger isn't the first choice keeper!
Sidney Govou has tied it up for France vs. Morocco.
Beckham is tripped 35 yards from goal and Campbell and Lescott are up from the back. Becks to take and he hammers it straight into the wall. He's had five corners and a free kick and he's only got one to a teammate. Becks is dominating England's play so far, but you have to wonder what's being sacrificed because of it.
Half an hour gone and England still deadlocked with a really poor Austrian side. Anything other than a win will be a negative for England's morale ahead of Wednesday.
England create the first real chance of the game. Crouch touches the ball superbly into the path of Michael Owen and from just inside the box he forces Manninger to tip his shot over the bar.
Disaster for England! Owen has picked up a knock and it looks as if his match is over. Oh dear oh dear.
Jermain Defoe comes on for Owen and it looks as if it might be - (big gulp) - Defoe and Crouch for England on Wednesday.
Cole crosses from the left looking for Crouch but Manninger punches clear.
Defoe's cross from deep is overhit and the ball floats out for a goal-kick. Jesus, this doesn't look.
Joe Cole has given possession up for about the sixth time and fouls Garics to boot. He's working his way toward a yellow card.
Becks hits another long cross toward Crouchie but Manninger handles it easily. England's wide men always assume that Crouchie is about nine feet tall. He is a mutant but he's not that big.
Ivanschitz surges into the box but Lescott makes a good challenge at the expense of a corner.
Last few minutes of the half. Should be some extra time due to Macho and Owen injuries.
England should be in front. Cole does so well to beat his man and get in behind the defence but Manninger bravely comes out to deny the midfielder. The ball falls to Crouch and he looks certain to score but Aufhauser does brilliantly to block the shot.
GOAL - CROUCH. 1-0 England! The Liverpool striker rises highest from Beckham's corner and nods the ball past Manninger to give England the lead. Manninger is claiming Defoe committed a foul in the air but the goal stands.
That's Crouchie's 13th goal in 23 matches for England and it reinforces my belief that Crouch is, despite his ungainly appearance, England's most effective striker. Rooney, for example, has only claimed 19 goals in more than twice the number of matches.
Kuljic is inches away from getting on the end of Ivanschitz's low cross into the box but Carson holds the ball well. He's had a good match.
The half-time whistle goes and England have a deserved lead against a very limited Austria side. Still, you have to wonder about the value of these kind of friendlies during qualifying campaigns after the loss of Owen. That could be costly.
Second half starting...
Gerrard, Campbell and Cole have gone off to be replaced by Gareth Barry, Wes Brown and Ashley Young as England restart the game.
The second-half has started just as the first - with England dominating possession.
Crouch tries to create something this time but Schiemer gets in front of him and makes a good challenge.
Brown looks to have fouled Aufhauser in the box but play is waved on and England survive. Whew!
Manninger denies Crouch a second goal of the night. The striker's free header at the back post looks in all the way but the sub goalkeeper dives to his left to keep the ball out.
I am here.
Not good news with Mikey
Beckham is replaced by David Bentley.
An hour gone and the game has become really scrappy now and it's no surprise given the number of changes both teams have made.
Hey, Dave. I'm hoping that they took wee Mikey off to save further damage and that he might make it back for Wednesday.
Young's cross to the back post is just too high for Crouch at the back post.
Lamps hits an ambitious shot well over the bar.
me too
Oi, I just tried to Skype you but you're not online.
Lampard surges into the box but Standfest makes a good challenge.
What, are you in the bog again?
Lamps shoots again but this time it's wide. You notice that he's really come into the match in the past fifteen minutes. Why? No Stevie G. on his toes. How difficult is that to see.
Sorry, I am in the middle of writing all the bills!!!!
Still more to go
Crouch is replaced by Alan Smith. Big hand for England's goalscorer. How crucial is he to England's survival on Wednesday now?
Come on Smithy!
Writing bills, eh? That's your euphemism for "on the khazi."
I have always rated Crouch.
ALWAYS
Yup
15 minutes to go
Lescott blasts the ball clear under pressure in his own box. Austria hare enjoying a better spell now after all the changes made by England.
Me too. He's goofy looking but effective.
Seventy five minutes gone. We'd take a 1-0 on Wednesday against Croatia but then Croatia are rather handy and Austria are rubbish.
Young does really well on the left wing but his cross is overhit and Austria have possession.
Final score
Swansea 0 Huddersfield 1
Good for Leeds
Nice one. We could leapfrog those leek eaters into the playoff spots tomorrow with a win.
Defoe is hopeless. Hopeless.
Will not could
Five minutes to go.
England are just playing out time.
Owen's injury is a thigh strain. Don't know what that means for Wednesday
Not on recent form. I'll stick with "could."
Sounds bad. The kid is so fragile.
It's definite!!
Leeds and Israel are both going to win
I agree, btw, they're just playing time out. Smith and Defoe are an exceptionally poor front pairing. Wouldn't you prefer to see Gabby Agbonlahor and Theo Walcott nudge those two out of the way at this point?
Announcement on Talksport.
It is official.
MICHAEL OWEN IS OUT OF THE CROATIA GAME!!!
What a stupid game this was!!!
From your lips to....
Absolutely shockingly stupid idea to have this game. The whole FA should be forced to resign over this.
Some bloke named Ben Arfa has won it for France over Morocco. 2-1.
Three minutes of added time.
Of course, TH doesn't get injured for them!!!
Wow! Morocco have tied it up 2-2 in that match against France. That should give the Scots a shot in the arm for tomorrow. They must win.
England win.
WHO CARES
Right, they're running out a second string side, blooding some new boys, not sticking the first team out. Stupid.
Full-time: What a waste. The 1-0 win doesn't give England any confidence ahead of Wednesday and we've lost a proven goalscorer for a game that we'll probably have to win. Let's pray that Israel thrash the Russians tomorrow.
I second that emotion.
Talk to you tomorrow
606 is starting now
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