Int'l Friendlies - Trinidad and Tobago vs England - Jun 1
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INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES:
VS 
England Vs USA
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Channel 24 : 3:00 AM - (Live) - (Thur Morning)
Rooney to play role in the hole for England
Wayne Rooney is poised to play in a deep-lying role as Fabio Capello tinkers with his tactics for Wednesday's friendly against the USA at Wembley.
Capello will consider altering his formation to play 4-4-1-1, with Rooney being handed the ‘role in the hole’ — behind a more advanced striker.
The Manchester United striker has been paired with West Ham’s Dean Ashton in most of England’s training sessions this week, but Capello has not finalised his team.
Rooney has been played as the lone striker in both of England’s friendlies under the Italian coach — first against Switzerland in February and also against France in March — but with limited success.
Capello is determined to mould a team around one of the country’s most talented players. Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe are Capello’s other options to play in front of Rooney.
The England chief also has a decision to make over the captaincy. John Terry, Gareth Barry and Rooney are among the contenders. David Beckham will be handed a ‘golden cap’ by Sir Bobby Charlton before the game in recognition of reaching his century against France.
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Beckham to face Landon Donovan and score another 70 yards stunner!
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Terry's turn to lead
Fabio Capello is expected to offer John Terry some consolation after his penalty miss in the European Cup final by handing him the chance to prove his credentials as England captain against the United States tomorrow. The Chelsea centre-half has yet to wear the armband under the Italian having only featured for 45 minutes, against France in Paris, in Capello's reign to date. While Rio Ferdinand remains the favourite to take the captaincy permanently it appears likely Terry will become the latest experienced player to audition for the role in tomorrow's friendly.
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terry
anyways, england to win. beckham to score
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terry is holding a weapon
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USA! USA! USA!
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Terry to lead England against USA
England coach Fabio Capello has named John Terry as captain for Wednesday's friendly against the United States.
He gets the armband for the Wembley friendly as part of the rotation policy before a permanent skipper is named.
And Capello said the captaincy will boost Terry after he missed a crucial penalty in Chelsea's Champions League final defeat against Manchester United.
He said: "It is a good decision for John Terry after last Wednesday, which was not nice for him."
Capello added: "He has played very well in training and when I told him he would be captain he was very, very happy.
"As a captain I think it is important to be a leader, and John Terry is a leader."
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USA gogogo
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*Star Spangled Banner*
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Fabio Capello wants the old Wayne Rooney back
His English was faltering but Fabio Capello's vision last night was crystal clear. Four months into the job, the Italian has decided he wants an England team that is recognisably England. And he wants the real Wayne Rooney, the man who threatened to conquer Europe, back and doing what he does best.
At Wembley tonight, Rooney will be given the role that suits him most, no longer the lone front-runner but instead the creative hub of Capello's team. For Capello, the images burned into his mind are of Rooney on the Euro 2004 rampage.
It is the displays that terrorised France, destroyed Switzerland, obliterated Croatia and threatened to take Sven Goran Eriksson's team all the way. That is the Rooney that England need, a player who can improve a strike rate of 14 goals in 42 matches, who can demonstrate the teenage potential has been translated into genuine maturity.
This evening, against a USA team including three of the Fulham squad who only survived relegation on the final day of the season, Capello wants that Rooney back again, as part of an England display that will enthral and captivate. Capello said: "I first saw Wayne Rooney in Portugal in 2004. He played very well there and now he has to play like he did then.
"This is his best position, second striker. He is versatile and has played up front and on both flanks but this is where he can be at his best. "I want him to play behind the lead striker, with his face to goal rather than his back, moving around behind the other striker. "But I need him to be more ruthless, too, as Sir Alex Ferguson has said. I think the same. I've spoken with him maybe three times now. And I've said to him he has to work, that he's too generous, trying to do too much. He needs to focus on playing in the best position for him.
"So I told Rooney he needs to be more selfish. Otherwise he's tired, not fresh. It's important to arrive fresh and not tired when you are in front of the goal. "He said: 'I know I have to score more goals and stay more in front of goal'. He needs experience, also. He's won a lot, but not enough.
"Rooney's potential is very, very, very big. But he can move better in the future, I am sure. And that is important for him and for the team." That Capello should put such an onus on the 22-year-old's shoulders is no surprise. Rooney is the real jewel in the England crown and while the likes of Jay DeMerit and Frankie Hejduk are not Fabio Cannavaro, Gabriel Milito or Brazil skipper Juan, the Manchester United star has to start fulfilling his England expectations somewhere.
Yet as Capello, whose assistant Franco Baldini suggested after the Swiss game that England played too quickly, suggested a reversal of his thinking, it was perhaps more eye-opening. Perhaps it has just dawned on the Italian that the 2010 World Cup will take place in the South African winter, where the heat will not be the normal factor.
Maybe he has realised that English teams will never be happy trying to play keep-ball, that the high-octane style which has seen the Premier League dominate Europe represents the only real way for the Three Lions to play. Whatever the reason, his argument last night hinted that Capello now accepts that England simply must be England - or they will be nothing.
Capello added: "We sat down and watched the game against France together. We spoke with the players about the mistakes and the things we have to do better in the next game. "I hope we'll see the things that I ask of the players. We need more intensity, more pace in the game, more speed, more pressing and more going forward. Maybe you could say more of an English way of playing.
"It's important to play well and without fear, with big confidence and with a very English spirit. "I have asked them to play like that. We have to play quicker, faster, than we did against Switzerland and France, to play with spirit and intensity, even if we're not as fresh as the US players, who are at the start of their season.
"I can learn about the players from games like this." Tonight is not the beginning of the Capello reign. But it has to be the start of the real thing. That means Rooney living up to the expectations. And an England performance to make Wembley come alive.
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beckham is my american boy~
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Go Freddy Adu!
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excellent delivery by beckham
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INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLIES:
Trinidad and Tobago vs England
Sunday, 01 June 2008
Channel 27: 5:30 am - (Live) (Mon Morning)
Rio Ferdinand retained in England squad
Rio Ferdinand will travel to Trinidad and Tobago as part of a 20-man England squad. The Manchester United defender is the only player who was involved in last week's Champions League final who will make the trip for Sunday's friendly international.
Chelsea full-back Wayne Bridge, who did not get on the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium last Wednesday, also remains part of the squad for the final game of the season. Bridge's Chelsea team-mate, John Terry, who captained England in their 2-0 win over the USA last night is one of those given an early holiday by head coach Fabio Capello.
Wayne Rooney, Owen Hargreaves, Wes Brown, Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard, who all started last night's game have been excluded. Joe Cole, who was a second-half substitute has also been omitted.
Terry, who missed the crucial penalty against United which would have ensured Chelsea of the Champions League trophy, scored the first-half opener in their win at Wembley which went a long way to answering doubts as to his mind-set following his Moscow heartache.
"I've shown that I'm a big man - I take full responsibility for what happened in Moscow, but I'm a man for big games," he said. "If I'm honest this was the last place I wanted to come this week, seeing all the United players," he said. "But it's done me a favour. The manager gave me a huge boost when he told me I was going to be captain and hopefully I've repaid him."
Capello felt justified in his choice of captain for last night's friendly even though he will still not confirm his permanent skipper until August. "He's a leader," said Capello. "Normally a leader with Chelsea, and a leader when he plays as captain for the national team. It was important for him to score. He'll go on holiday happy. He played a good game."
The friendly against Trinidad and Tobago will allow Capello a chance to trial one further candidate for the captaincy before informing the squad of his final decision. Terry, Gerrard and Ferdinand have all had a chance to audition for the role. Gareth Barry is the leading contender to be handed the armband on Sunday.
"It's not an easy decision," Capello, who will name his permanent captain for August's friendly against the Czech Republic. England head into their final match of the season in good spirits having comfortably side-stepped the USA, who were quarter-finalists at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
"I'm very happy because I think at this moment the USA are a good team," Capello said. "They are well organised and it's not easy to score a goal. We played very well with good concentration. When we needed to play a long ball, we did, and when needed to pass, we did. I'm very happy because we did the simple things and have made one step forward. At home it's very important to win."
England squad: David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Joe Lewis (Peterborough), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Tottenham), Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (LA Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa), Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth).