England vs USA sponsored by US Nobbers [OFFICAL THREAD]

[TBM]

tbm, milner was ill going into the game but started anyway.

whereas Joe Cole wasn't and had 2 decent games leading up to today

[paultheroyal]

Don't give a toss about Green's confidence, that was a shocking error, just bread and butter stuff, confidenc will count for nothing on Friday as he won't be playing!

MOM for me was Johnson.

In summary, no pace, no creativity and a team with Watford, Hull, and Bolton players should of been dispatched with ease.

Oh well, we can still win it!!!!!

[Ark Royal]

Well, I predicted a 1-1, but we really should have won that second half with the chances we had. The locals in the pub here really, really underrate the US way too much; they are a seriously organized and disciplined team.

Heskey really should have put that chance away and despite his part in the goal, overall he just does not add enough threat. Was Rooney out there today? Anonymous. Lamps disappeared and a 4-4-2 with Gerrard DOES NOT FU CKING WORK! We HAVE to play 4-5-1 to see the best out this England team. Green's howler should mean Hart in for the next game.

[cmonurz]

I'd hope it would mean an experienced international keeper in David James in for the next game, not a rookie.

[FiNeRaIn]

Capello is one of the most OVERRATED managers going. Easy qualifying group and somehow he's a god,best ever bla bla

We saw in our last three warm up games we were complete crap and managed to fluke a few wins and today tops it off. Baffling decision to take SWP nvm play him...then play him on the left in possibly the worst left sided performance by and England player i've witnessed watching them. Is Joe Cole injured again? Usually if our left sided player isn't very good he's anonymous and just doesn't do a lot, SWP however over-ran balls, messed up crosses, mis-controlled and beat absolutely no one, I was cringing for him.
Heskey is heskey, he may as well just stop turn round and pass it to someone else when he's played through as he's the worst finisher in the squad. He did play well but it says it all about England that he gets a game, can't knock his all round performance though but the top sides have hekseys who can actually score.
Today messi and rooney took the stage with lots of attention on both as being the top two plays in the world. I'm afraid the difference in ability was pretty clear for all to see. Rooney was anonymous and dropping deep the whole game for some reason while messi was pulling strings and showing his dominance on the game.

Credit to the USA I thought onyewu was the best defender on the pitch and I have not seen a side play with as much heart defensively as they did for quite a while, they threw everything to get blocks in and you have to take your hats off to that. If only Reading had signed onyewu when we were linked, he was an absolute beast.

Same old keeping errors, knew green wasn't upto the job and it took him 40 mins to tell that world that, costing us the game in the process. Maybe now we'll pick the one keeper who has not got a track record for mistakes and has had the best season out of the lot of them....hart.

We had a bit more momentum in the second half and it was much improved but our finishing was poor and rooney was playing too deep as usual.

Still think we'll qualify due to an easy group but this is the same old england with a few different players, not the remotest possibility of winning the world cup so I won't be understanding everyone's gutted reaction when we get knocked out.

[PlasticRoyale]

If all the 'should have scored' went in every game would be about 5-4. Bit harsh on Heskey to say he should have scored, a decent chance nothing more. I could show you footage of every striker ever not scoring a chance like that.

Milner and King choices seemed to have back fired a little. Carra' shouldn't be anywhere near the world cup squad. SWP didn't do it tonight. Rooney was crowded out of the game, would have like to have seen more. Only saw the second half so can't really comment...

[FiNeRaIn]

Bit harsh on Heskey to say he should have scored, a decent chance nothing more.

If you believe a 1v1 with no pressure to only be " decent", im afraid you don't know a lot about football. They don't come much clearer than that i'm afraid.

[PlasticRoyale]

I've seen countless opportunities like that missed by every great player you could care to name...

[FiNeRaIn]

I've seen countless opportunities like that missed by every great player you could care to name...

Of course, but it doesn't make it any less of a chance does it? That simply doesn't make sense.

If it was a one off with heskey then I'd also understand your point, the fact he misses those for England week in week out makes your point invalid. Torres, milito, tevez, villa, fabiano,etc don't miss those week in week out, thats the difference.

[FiNeRaIn]

[RoyalChicagoFC]

The locals in the pub here really, really underrate the US way too much; they are a seriously organized and disciplined team.

Fit as a squad of Airborne Rangers too --christ, with man for man footballing talent on a par with theirs, they'd better be!

Meanwhile, how soon they forget...

Credit to the USA[...] I have not seen a side play with as much heart defensively as they did for quite a while, they threw everything to get blocks in and you have to take your hats off to that.

If last June's Confeder7ions Cup semi against Spain had been a boxing match, the referee either would've stopped it by the hour mark or been out of a job for life

But seriously...nothing that I saw out there tonite dissuades me from my belief all along that England will:

--Progress easily as group winners
--Get a kind draw in the Round of 16 and walk it
--Get the rub of the green in the quarters and just about make it safely out (one-nil from the spot, and against a side to whom you'd expect England to lose, has the vague ring of sense)
--Go down, and perhaps in heroic fashion, in the semis

I'm serious --I really think England'll plod their way some distance thru this thing until they hit the winners of Group G in the semis

Go ahead and now and l7r if you must

[Archie's penalty]

Said it from the start. I think we'll make the semis. Spain or Brazil to bring home the bacon (or the world cup as they call it).

[Northern Boy]

Emile Donkey subbed.. not a minute too soon.

You're such a retard.

This ^. What a bunch of utter spastics on this thread. Confirmed that Reading fans know jack shit about football . We created enough chances to win this game 3 times over and minus the mistake we would have won anyway. Lots of neat passing in midfield, defence looked pretty solid, the Americans created nothing second half other than when they hit the post. Even though we drew a lot to be pleased with tonight and the toughest opposition of the group stage out the way.

Oh and going back to the post commented, I thought Heskey had a very good game. Could have done better with his one on one but you have to get into the position to miss it. Plus he set up our goal. Are some people never satisfied?

Oh and ITV oxf*rd off.

+ another 1 to this.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Usual stunning England perfromance at the World cup shock

Now watch the idiot press in this country moan about how Robert Green should be hung, drawn and quartered and how the rest of the team are a shower of ****

Yes mistakes made yesterday, but me the major wasn't Green's unfortunateness (why can't he keep them for West Ham next season) but Cappello's imbecile decision to start with a patently unfit Milner instead of Joe Cole who was about the only bright spot in an otherwise depressing warm up period.

And it doesn't matter who is managing the team you can't play Gerrard and Lardarse in the same side it does not work.

My changes for Algeria; Cole J for Milner and Barry for Lardarse.

Oh and why can't the FA learn once and for to not grant licences to show football to this bunch of hopeless dibwicks at ITV.

[Man Friday]

"Messi and Ronney - best players in the world." The media sure know how to insult an Argentenian. Rooney's not fit to clean Messi's boots. Even Cisse, Sonko, et al, subdued him over the two seasons we played Man U. England = overrated every time = flatter to deceive. We're too complacent - for months now all the media and fans have been talking about is who we could play on the way to the semis or final. Let's see us get out of this group first.

[soggy biscuit]

Anyone know why Lampard was dropped last night?

[PieEater]

Why don't other countries seem to have dodgy keepers who cock it up regularly on a world stage? Green is meant to be the best in England so to fluff it like he did is just inexcusable. Add Carson and Sullivan to the recent blooper list and there has to be something wrong with the way things are done, or the pressure he is under.

[Sarah Star]

"The Hand of Clod" according to The News of the World this morning apparently.

[leww_rfc]

Terrible headline but then again I knew that was the headline maker as soon as it happened, I just thought it would be "The Hand of Rob"

[Ian Royal]

I'd just like to add that Green cannot start the next game. Can't believe everyone is saying he made a good save against Altidore. As always Altidore's finishing was poor. He hit it hard but at an easily saveable height and place.

Green then proceeded to do his best to palm it into the top of the net rather than push it wide.

And I'm impressed he came out after the game, but jumping on the question about the ball being the cause and hinting it was, when he just absolutely spacked it has not impressed me.

If you're coming out, you come out to put your hands up and say it was a terrible mistake that you have to take the blame for, that you lost two points for England, but you won't let it affect you and intend to make up for it with outstanding displays in the rest of the tournament.