Croatia vs. England Live!
England will need a bit of the bulldog spirit today as they face their toughest group opponent in Zagreb. I think we would all take a point from tonight's match and call it a success. Let's hope Don Fabio has a plan for that.
I'm all set up with the live stream and watching the Macedonia-Ireland match ahead of the big one. Join me for all the action live from 3 p.m.
posted by The Blue Devil @ 2:31 PM
56 Comments:
Into the second half and still locked at 0-0 between Macedonia and Ireland.
In other group action, Ukraine have pulled a serviceable 3-1 result away to Borat-land, so they're a danger in the group for sure.
News out of the England camp: Capello has rewarded Joe Cole with a start on the left today, so that means Stewart Downing will start on the bench. So too Goldenballs, with Theo getting another start. Emile Heskey gets the nod up front in place of the feckless Jermaine Defoe. And the 'Orrible Orange starts at right back instead of Glen Johnson.
Wales have been beaten 2-1 in Russia. Not unsurprising there.
And we're off! Come on England!
Very positive start from England
First ten minutes have all been England, but now Croatia are starting to test Wes Brown on the left.
Oh dear, a bit of calamity action there. James spilled one and we were lucky to get out of that.
Absolutely hopeless delivery on the free kick there from Lamps.
Fifteen minutes in and England have soaked up a bit of pressure. They need to turn the screw again as they did coming out of the gate.
Croatia now piling up the corners.
Joe Cole really hasn't been in the match since the first couple of minutes. They need to get him going down the left side.
Lovely move there might have ended with a penalty shout for Heskey who was seemingly manhandled in the box. Theo did so well volleying a cross in for Heskey.
YESSSSS!!!!!!!
Theo scores his first goal for England and what a huge one it is. The ball found its way through a crowd to Theo on the left side of the box and Theo banged it home through the goalkeepers hands.
1-0 England!
And Theo was nearly in there again. The boy is running riot here.
Oh dear, James has flapped at another cross there and it had to be cleared off the line by, I think, Brown.
Suddenly Croatia have been rocked back on their heals. Their service to the front men has completely fallen apart. Good signs here.
England are playing Croatia really high up the field. It's working so far but it's risky.
Hey, ya, Bob . . . I just jumped on the live stream for a bit. . . nice scoreline, but I worry it's a tad early to be trying to take the air out of the ball . . .I'm not going to be able to stay on, but wanted to shout out to you. . . C'mon England!
Cheers, Trev. You're right - this is a long way from over. But Theo is tearing them up on the right. He threaded another lovely ball there to Roon and his cross just evaded Heskey.
Theo was crushed by Simunic off the ball there and the Croatia thug was yellow carded. Theo may have to come off here.
And Theo is back on...
Silly free kick there and Croatia line one here with Srna behind the ball.
England just have to weather one or two more minutes of pressure and get in to the dressing room a goal up.
Another dangerous free kick here...
Rakatic hits one into Row Z and that should about do it for the first half.
Yes, there goes the half time whistle from Lubos Michel and it's a terrific scoreline and performance so far. They might have had a penalty as well but we'll take a one-goal lead.
Second half starting with no changes for England....
Simunic upends Roon and really should have picked up a second yellow there.
England have come out positively again this half and the Croatian crowd are getting on their team now. More good signs.
Ohhhh, Joe Cole has just taken a nasty blow from Robert Kovacs. That was criminal. He led with his elbow there and Joe has blood streaming down his head and he's collapsed in a pile.
I've lost the feed temporarily but it appears from the chatter in the chat room that Robert Kovacs has received a straight red for that assault on Joe Cole - and too right.
GOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!
The feed's gone out but it doesn't matter. Theo Walcott has just bagged his second goal of the night. What a Roy of the Rovers night for him.
Rooney was the supplier and it sounds like another cross shot from him has nestled into the back of the net.
An hour gone now and Capello looks like a genius at the moment. We're top of the group now and really in pole position. If we can get out of Zagreb with the three points, we're in fantastic shape in the group.
Heskey picks up a yellow for a trip on Niko Kovacs.
Pokrivac replaces Nico Kovac as Bilic shuffles his pack again.
3-0!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've missed another goal with the feed still out but England are in dream land. Incredible stuff. Jermaine Jenas - yes! - have come on and crosses from the left with the outside of his right foot and Rooney calmly slots the ball home. This is turning into another of those famous England nights like in Munich in 2001.
Croatia 0 England 3!!!!
And suddenly it's carnival time with England midfield knocking balls around in small triangles and making monkeys of Croatia on their own patch. Wow!
England are back, England are back, hello! Hello!
Goldenballs is warming up - I'm sure he would like to get in on all this Hollywood stuff that's being sprayed about now.
Twenty minutes left - still plenty of time for England to get another.
This shows you how unpredictable the international game is and how fine a line there is between success and failure. England huffed and puffed their way to a 2-0 win over a bunch of Postmen Pats from Andorra at the weekend and now they've stuffed a side that made the Euro 2008 semis last summer.
Jenas ran straight at Simunic there. It's a great tactic as the big man is on a tight thread. It would be brilliant to have both center backs banned for a few games.
Good news about Joe Cole. He doesn't have to go to hospital, it's just a nasty cut to his head.
A lovely move by England ends with Lampard thrashing the ball into the back of the net but the whistle had already gone. A real shame as that was a wonderful passage of play.
GOAL - Knezevic. Sloppy play by England allows Croatia to pull a goal back. Srna's foot is very high as he takes the ball away from Terry but play is allowed to go on and he drives forward and crosses to Knezevic who slots home.
Still ten minutes left. England can't afford to be sloppy now.
THEOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The boy wonder has bagged his hat-trick. He'll now be lauded as the way forward for England. Wow
England 4-1!
Rooney was at the heart of that one too. He's laid on at least two of the goals tonight and scored one. That'll definitely do his confidence a world of good.
Getting to the end of regular time.
The feed's back on and the England crowd are roaring the boys home here with three minutes of stoppage time.
Chris Waddle is talking about Joe Cole's stitches are "well worth it." Not sure Joe feels the same way.
About a minute left here. How much is Theo Walcott worth now?
Full-time: Croatia 1 England 4
Wow! It's another glorious night almost as sweet as the 1-5 result in Munich in 2001.
Capello got it spectacularly right with keeping the faith with Theo who has rewarded him with a fantastic hat-trick. Rooney was also outstanding and will shut up those who were calling for him to be dropped. England are the first team to win a competitive match in Croatia. Wow!
Germany have drawn 3-3 in Finland in what sounds like a thriller.
The Scots have defeated Iceland away to bring a smile back north of the border after their disappointing weekend result.
Cro-a-tia, Cro-a-tia, You're not arranging yourself on the terraces in the shape of a swastika anymooooooooooore, You're not arr....
The bad news is that Theo's just put himself on that bleeding Emir's shopping list!
Awesome, amazing. I watched it all and loved it - Theo was terrific, best i have ever seen, he had plenty of room and thats where he excels. Croatia for all their cockiness were just a dirty team at the end of the day - Siminic should have gone before that monster did. Absolutely delighted and now Arsene has a problem - do you dare drop him for Blackburn?
Wow, what a great result!!!!
SO, you had trouble with the feed?
I just watched the goals on the Mighty Football website. If you click the match on the right hand side and all the goals are shown from IRAN!
Yeah, there was trouble with the feed. As Simon mentioned in another thread, I guess it can be a bit hit or miss at times. Still, I can't complain given the price. I got to see the whole of the first half, a bit of the second and then the last ten minutes plus the goals and wrap up comments with El Tel, Steve McManaman and co. afterward.
And the U.S. have just wrapped a serviceable 3-0 win against T&T. What a brilliant day. I think I'll pop on the site and watch a bit of Brazil.
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