Aaron Lennon
Midfield
Justified his inclusion ahead of Shaun Wright-Phillips. Won the penalty for England's first, whipped in a pinpoint cross for the second and could have added more himself. Theo Walcott did it in Zagreb and Lennon did it at Wembley in the same position.
Steven Gerrard
Midfield
His best performance for England in years. The Liverpool skipper clearly had a point to prove against Croatia and was at his rampaging best when drifting in from the left with more freedom than usual.
Frank Lampard
Midfield
Like Gerrard, he was driven by memories of the failed Euro 2008 campaign. The Chelsea star gave a disciplined display in a deeper role but was always a goal threat, while his run into the box led to the third goal.
Mario Mandzukic
Midfield
His late runs caused England problems and his cross for Eduardo created a chance.
Niko Kranjcar
Midfield
Was neat on the ball but the new Tottenham midfielder needed to be given possession more.
Darijo Srna
Midfield
Offered good support in attack but struggled with Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole on his right flank.
| Team | Score | Team |
|
England
|
5 - 1 |
Croatia
|
| Venue: Wembley, Date: 9th Sep 2009, KO Time: 20:00, Referee: A. Undiano Mallenco | ||
Key Players
Key Moments
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08mins: Lennon attack
England secured a vital early lead following Aaron Lennon's trickery in the box that earned an indisputable penalty. The sight of Lennon terrorising defenders with pace and skill will surely fill England fans with confidence as they look ahead to South Africa next summer.
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12mins: Barry lets fly
Gareth Barry's long-distance drive, after a smart pull-back from Aaron Lennon misses Gerrard, and is excellently saved by Vedran Runje through a mass of bodies as England signal their motivation.
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17mins: Mandzukic warning
England are given a warning that they might not have it all their own way, and defensive weaknesses are highlighted, when Mario Mandzukic gets sight of goal but volleys over.
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45mins: Heskey chance
Emile Heskey is sent clean through for another chance in quick succession but loses his footing to indicate that he is a striker that does not score a lot of goals.
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66mins: Rooney assist
Showing a stunning burst of speed to recover the ball, he kept his balance and composure to measure an exquisite chip for Gerrard to head home his second of the match. Split-second timing and vision to pick out the best option marked this out as one of the moments of the game.
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73mins: Defensive failings
There is no real blame for Robert Green, who saves from Eduardo and Mandzukic but the latter taps in a consolation goal, however, England again fail to keep a clean sheet.
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80mins: Beckham introduction
David Beckham earns a run-out, but it is more of an exhibition and it remains to be seen if the midfielder will be in Fabio Capello's England World Cup plans.
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77mins: Rooney shows no mercy
Having created chances throughout the game, it seemed ironic that Rooney's goal should be gifted to him courtesy of a goalkeeping howler. With the game already won, many players surely would have assumed the Croatian keeper would gather the ball easily, but the England striker sensed weakness and pounced on the loose ball to finish clinically.
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