England scored three goals in each half to secure a 6-0 win over Andorra at Wembley on Wednesday.
England on brink of World Cup after seventh straight win
England scored three goals in each half to secure a 6-0 win over Andorra at Wembley on Wednesday.
Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe grabbed two goals apiece while Frank Lampard and Peter Crouch completed the scoring for Fabio Capello's men.
Rooney got the ball rolling inside the first five minutes when he headed home Glen Johnson's cross from the right.
England were made to wait for the second but it duly arrived when Theo Walcott cut the ball back for Lampard to pass home before Rooney collected his 10th England goal of season when he comprehensively volleyed Johnson's cross into the back of the net.
Defoe replaced Rooney at half-time and got in on the act after 73 minutes when Johnson got his third assist of the night as Defoe rose to nod home the fourth.
The Tottenham striker added his second two minutes later when he tapped in a rebound after David Beckham's free-kick had been spilled. The scoring was completed when Crouch scuffed the ball in 10 minutes from time.
England now know a win against Croatia on September 9th will seal a place at next year's World Cup with two games to spare.
Perfect start
Quite conceivably, Rooney could have been celebrating his hat-trick when Johnson picked him out with a deep cross that, unmarked, the forward had little trouble finding the net with.
As they were only at the four minute stage, it just about said it all about the one-sided nature of what passed for a contest.
A smart turn onto Steven Gerrard's pass created Rooney's first opening, a deft chip that Koldo Alvarez did well to touch over the bar.
The second was a more instinctive header that crashed back off the crossbar after Alvarez had denied Walcott.
Crouch and Gerrard might have scored in a little flurry around the 10 minute mark but England were made to wait almost until the half hour before finding the net again, Lampard powerfully drilling home Walcott's cutback.
Johnson was the provider for a momentous goal for Rooney, which allowed him to draw level with Sir Geoff Hurst as England's 12th highest scorer on 24.
For the record, Rooney also equalled Gary Lineker's record for the most goals in a single international season, 10.
As Rooney notoriously hates missing any football, he might not have taken his interval substitution too well, particularly as the opposition suggested a first England hat-trick was on the cards.
Opportunities
However, in replacing both Rooney and Gerrard with Defoe and Ashley Young, Capello was able to have a decent look at a couple of the fringe players who hope to be on the flight to South Africa in 12 months' time.
Defoe took his chance well scoring twice, Johnson setting up the first in a similar manner to Rooney before Crouch tapped home after a woeful mistake from Alvarez.
Capello will realise his team must overcome far stiffer tests if they are to emulate the 1966 heroes who got long overdue medals to mark their achievement.
But the signs are undeniably positive. And, one senses, in his own understated way, the Italian knows it.
| England |
Team Statistics |
Andorra |
| 6 |
Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 12 |
Shots on Target |
0 |
| 13 |
Shots off Target |
1 |
| 5 |
Blocked Shots |
1 |
| 16 |
Corners |
0 |
| 6 |
Fouls |
11 |
| 3 |
Offsides |
0 |
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
3 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 90 |
Passing Success |
57.3 |
| 11 |
Tackles |
12 |
| 81.8 |
Tackles Success |
91.7 |
| 80 |
Possession |
20 |
| 85.6 |
Territorial Advantage |
14.4 |
|
