ONE record broken, one burning ambition to fulfil; the biggest human flag in history was formed at Wembley last night but now the challenge facing England is to set up the biggest street party since 1966 on July 11.
Though a new entry was made into the Guinness Book of Records when more than 80,000 spectators made a giant cross of St George, the only thing which concerned those inside Wembley was whether Fabio Capello’s men have what it takes to succeed in South Africa.
Today the jury is still out. Though England looked good at times going forward against Mexico and could have scored more than the three goals with which they eventually finished, concerns still remain; they are, clearly, still a work in progress.
Capello now has seven days to sort the wheat from the chaff but, when he reaches his conclusion and submits his 23 names to FIFA, will there be sufficient talent included to emulate Sir Alf Ramsey’s heroes of 44 years ago? Draw your own conclusion.
One of the easiest decisions Capello will have to make surrounds the identity of his forward line; Wayne Rooney’s place is unquestionable, Jermain Defoe will be a lively option, while Emile Heskey's muscular presence will also be handy.
That leaves a straight fight between Darren Bent and Peter Crouch but, in reality, there is nothing for Capello to consider. Crouch, simply, has to be on the plane as whenever he plays for England, he makes things happen.
Look at his record. The bundled-in effort which doubled England’s lead on 34 minutes here took his tally to 21 goals in 38 appearances for his country, figures that stand scrutiny with the very best international strikers.
It’s easy to fall into a trap of not taking Crouch seriously due to his size, gait and self-deprecating manner; throw into the mix that robot dance and you can see why many are quick to believe he is on the ride simply to provide some comedy.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Liverpool supporters, for starters, have not been laughing that he no longer refers to Anfield as home in recent seasons and Capello certainly wouldn’t indulge him purely on grounds of popularity.
Crouch, quite simply, has to start but could the same be said of certain others who were hoping to convince the Italian they should join him in South Africa? In a word, no. The closer the tournament gets, the more optimism begins to waver.
There is no disputing England have some truly gifted performers – Rooney induces panic in opposition defences every time he receives possession, ditto Steven Gerrard – but scratch beneath the surface and do you see depth to mount a credible challenge?
Take Michael Carrick. He was anonymous last night and his performance showed why Capello was busy making phone calls to his Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes at 10am on the day he announced his initial 30-man squad.
If Jamie Carragher – so composed on his return to England duty – is looking for someone to offload the tickets to Disneyworld that he won’t be able to use, he might want to usher them Carrick’s way. It will be a big shock if he makes the cut.
Yet there are several about whom you could talk in the same way.
Every four years it is the same; past performances are ignored, form against the very best is conveniently forgotten about, as are deficiencies in the squad – then there is an outcry when the inevitable quarter-final defeat is suffered.
This is not being a killjoy, merely stating a fact. Capello has shown himself to be the coolest of customers but the way he became increasingly animated and agitated during this game suggests he knows all is not well.
Should anything happen to Gerrard or Rooney, a difficult task will effectively become impossible. Of that star pairing last night, Liverpool’s captain shone brightest, rampaging back and forth, playing like a man with a point to prove.
Starting on the left flank but drifting into a central position whenever possible, crosses from Gerrard led to the first two goals for Ledley King and Crouch, his use of the ball was immaculate and his tackles were meticulously timed.
Strange, then, he was not responsible for the moment of the game; that honour fell to his club-mate Glen Johnson, who broke his international duck in spectacular fashion, finishing a jinking run past four Mexicans with a spectacular left-foot drive. Had Johnson not popped up so soon after the interval, it is doubtful England would have won with such comfort in the end, as Mexico were consistently dangerous and deserved Guillermo Franco’s scrappy effort in first half injury time.
Leighton Baines did his best to stop that going in but he endured a difficult night, particularly in the second period when the speedy, tricky Pablo Barrera constantly tried to hoodwink him with fancy footwork.
Everton’s left-back is still learning at this level and should not feel too deflated with his efforts; he flourished during the Premier League season and that Stephen Warnock did not get any playing time suggests Capello knows who will be Ashley Cole’s deputy.
But does he know the identity of the 11 to flatten Brazil, Argentina, Spain and the rest? Only time will tell. For the moment, the bunting should stay under lock and key.
ENGLAND (4-4-2): Green (Hart 46): G Johnson, Ferdinand (Carragher 46), King, Baines: Walcott (Lennon 76), Carrick (Huddlestone 62), Milner (A Johnson 85), Gerrard: Crouch (Defoe 46), Rooney.
MEXICO (4-1-2-3): Perez: Aguilar (Berrera 52), Javier Rodriguez, Osorio, Salcido: Marquez: Torrado, Juarez: Dos Santos (Blanco 72), Franco (Hernandez 46), Vela.
Goals – Franco (45+3) Bookings – Barrera (66), Dos Santos (68), Javier Rodriguez (89)
Att: 88,638. Referee: Masaaki Toma (Japan)
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