Another English multi-starrer fails to impress as Stuttgart beckons

(Guest blogger Raam Shanker came out wondering after the England-Sweden match on how the 38-year-old record in favour of the Swedes was still standing.)

Odeon is a place where they show movies, and this game of football between European giants England and Sweden was nothing less than a blockbuster for it had almost all the ingredients; comedy, drama, action, horror, suspense and tragedy. Of course not to forget, England’s Second-Half-Syndrome, as I like to call it, was back to haunt them (you can take it as the horror element) as they went 38 years and counting without a win against Sweden.

The tragic part in the game was, Rooney and Owen’s reunion being ended abruptly as Owen was stretchered off after twisting his right knee in the very first minute. There was enough and more drama with chances going amiss and personal confrontations involving Hargreaves, Ljunberg, Carragher, Lucic, Allback and Joe Cole albeit at different stages of the game, to name a few. Action, yes plenty of it at the goal mouth with four goals coming from Cole, Allback, Gerrard and Larsson in that order. Suspense was there right from the word go and the questions being asked from England’s point of view were:

• Germany or Ecuador?
• End of 38-year drought or a win at last against Sweden?

As ever, the answers were out there, and it will be Ecuador at Stuttgart and England could not end the drought! For a Swede, the only and all-important question was

• Second round or home?

Answer was second round, but they had to take it with a pinch of salt as they face the hosts Germany!

However the suspense mounted as England took an early lead, courtesy of Joe Cole’s humdinger, which curled, dipped and dipped till it went in! England led by this lone goal at half time and so it was time to relax in the second half, business as usual.

The complacency cost them dear, as Ferdinand went to sleep, resulting in a corner, which an unmarked Allback converted despite Ashley Cole’ heroics at the line. More drama later on as Rooney made way for Gerrard and the frustration was evident in Rooney’s expression and body language. Well as Rooney sat ruing Gerrard justified his entry with a magnificent header that gave England the lead again. The joy though was short lived as a comedy of errors resulted in Larsson equalizing for Sweden in the last minute of regular time. An eventless three minutes later, the referee decided to call it a day ending the game with a share of spoils for both the teams.

Here are a few things that caught my eye:

England piled on most of their attacks from the left with Joe and Ashley Cole creating the chances. I felt that Joe Cole was a little too desperate to prove a point. England also were not keen on attacking from the middle, as they went on beating around the pitch despite players being free in central midfield. Beckham was like a showpiece, taken out only for set pieces and put back into the showcase. Anyone watching football for the first time would have bet his last penny insisting that Crouch is a midfielder. Rooney hardly got a touch of the ball in the second half. Lampard’s out-of-the-box heroics are yet to yield results and it looks as if he is finding it difficult to get to grips with this ball’s behaviour.

I ponder again:

• Will we see the sensationally selected Theo Walcott in action?
• Owen – is it end of the road for him in this World Cup?
• If England fail to win this time, will they blame it on injuries?

(Raam Shanker is an England fan , hoping that they will win the World Cup this year)