England finally put in a decent performance Wednesday evening to defeat Slovenia 1-0 and advance to the round of 16. But Team U.S.A.’s last-gasp victory means that the Three Lions will face off against their arch-rival – Germany.
It was a much improved performance by England, with Jermain Defoe volleying home a cross from close range in the 23rd minute to seal the victory. It was a more energetic and incisive England team than the one that played out a limp draw with Algeria, although hardly a performance to convince that the side has turned a corner.
Defoe’s pace and trickery up front caused more problems than the plodding Emile Heskey, whom he replaced in the starting line-up. Steven Gerrard in midfield covered every inch of the pitch, and James Milner offered a dangerous option with his crosses fizzing in from the right.
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But the hero of the game for me was John Terry. With Slovenia chasing the game he put in numerous blocks and diving tackles as the rest of the defense seemed to evaporate around him. At one point he flung himself head-first across the turf in a desperate attempt to block a shot. He may have shown himself a bit of a schemer last week with his apparent attempt to influence squad selection, but he showed why coach Fabio Capello called him an important player.
Next up it’s the Germans, who knocked England out in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1998, both times on penalties. I can still remember Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missing their penalties for England in 1990, one of my first football memories. But I also remember that England had only squeezed through the group stage back then after a 1-0 victory over Egypt following two draws. Perhaps they can now get on a roll like 20 years ago.
Germany looked outstanding in its 4-0 victory over Australia, before a 1-0 loss to Serbia and a solid 1-0 win against Ghana on Wednesday. The Germans play well as a team and the tricky Mehut Ozil will no doubt cause some problems up front. But there’s no reason why England can’t beat its greatest rivals if it can up the level performance again, as it did last night.
