England v USA Soccer Friendly

Here is our first crack at a live blog! No Landon Donovan and no 100th CAP. For England David Beckham will start, but the captain’s armband belongs to John Terry.

Starting lineups:

England Team: David James, Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe.

USA Team: Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Heath Pearce, Josh Wolff, Michael Bradley, Rico Clark, DaMarcus Beasley, Clint Dempsey, Eddie Johnson.

3:00pm: Wembley looks mostly full and Beckham gets some brown colored CAP commemorating his 100th CAP.

3:03PM: A girl that looks like Kelly Rowland from Destiny’s Child is singing the National Anthem (She is getting bood)

3:05PM: They are just blaring “God Save the Queen” over the PA system, I guess Natasha Bedingfield wasn’t available

1 min: Game kicks off with both teams just feeling each other out. Play is all in the midfield

5 min: Lucky bounce to Defoe and he passes to Rooney offside. Almost!! 7 out of 11 starters for England played last Wednesday in the Champion League Final

7 min: Set piece for the USA. Cross enters the goal area, but headed out. England counters with Defoe and Rooney again, but Rooney’s pass hits a US defender and the ball is cleared

11 min: Foul outside the box by Rico Clark. Beckham will take the free kick. Crosses to Gerrard. GOAL!!!! but it doesn’t count as the whistle blew for some unknown reason. Becks kicks it again, but this time its wide of the mark.

16 min: Rooney again counters with Defoe. Again Rooney’s pass hits a US defender. He looks to have a heavy foot. Game is moving slowly, as neither team can pass more than 3 times

19 min: Cherundolo misplays a ball, but recovers nicely to block Gerrard’s pass. The ball sits idly there for a second and Gerrard passes to Beckham 22 yards out. He shoots and misses badly. The US can’t even smell the other side of the field.

23 min: Bocanegra loses his footing, Rooney dribbles it into the US goal area and crosses. but the ball is behind the England cutters.

24 min: Ashley Cole taken down right outside the box. Beckham takes the free kick and lays a pass across the goal to Gerrard who shoots it on goal, but straight at Clint Dempsey’s head

25 min: Beasley earns another free kick out on the left side. Beasley takes it and sends it into the box, where a poor header by Lampard goes straight to Eddie Johnson. Johnson lifts it back across the area but it’s too high for Onyewu.

30 min: Still no rhythm to the game. Wasn’t Rooney suppose to be in Vegas over the weekend for his bachelor party? Maybe that’s why his balls are no good

34 min: Gerrard gets a ball back on the left from a give and go….crosses into space to Defoe. Ball skips up and he tips it wide. Should have been 1-0!

38 min: Beckham crosses into the box off another free kick (silly foul by Rico Clark). The service is perfect to John Terry…….the Captain makes it 1-0 England.

40 min: England is taking over now. Defoe takes a ball right outside the box, makes a move back left and is taken down. Free kick right outside the US box. Gerrard shoots the free kick straight into the wall

41 min: Beckham maintains possession and sends it to Hargeaves 25 yards out and his shot is high

44 min: Ball goes long to Defoe again. Cherundolo takes him down and gets a YELLOW card. Bechkham takes the shot and couldn’t get it over the wall

First Half closes: 1-0 off a Terry goal. US cant do anything in the final third without Donovan. If they keep on committing these silly fouls which allow England these free kicks, they definitely will not have a shot to come back.

46 min: A lot of subs! I am too lazy to name now. Eddie Johnson just received a cross in the box but he shot it left

50 min: Rooney just tried a bicycle kick. He is a little overweight and add to that he was nowhere near the ball and it was plain awkward. But he still has Colleen Mclaughlin!

53 min: Terry crosses a ball to Defoe in the box, who sheds his defender and shoots it right into the backup goalies (I think his name is Brad Guzan) arms.

58 min: Gareth Barry and Glen Johnson in: Wes Brown and Lampard out for England

59 min: Barry thru-ball to Gerrard who makes a great run….walks in untouched and beats Guzman…2-0!

62 min: Between David James and Glen Johnson, the English team has some great hair. BTW where is Freddy Adu and why wouldn’t they let Theo Wolcott dress for this game

68 min: Play has slowed down and now we get Freddy Adu. Josh Wolfe is out (he stinks, why is he still on the team). Robot man is in, Peter Crouch (Defoe out). I love Abigail Clancy!

72 min: The wave has broken out at Wembley. Corner for the US, shot by someone that was blocked and cleared

76 min: Rooney comes in late again. His third time this game and the ref has to give a YELLOW (which he does while counting the number 3 on his fingers)!

78 min: Rico Clark out, MLS rookie of of the year Edu comes in for the US. Rooney out and Joe Cole in for England. The home team looks content just playing this one out. Come on Adu do something special and start dating a hot model

81 min: Eddie Lewis beats the defender and send a cross to the back post. David James make a lunging tip to knock the ball out of bounds. That was necessary as the US had people on the back post

83 min: Ashely Cole out, Wayne Bridge in

88 min: Freddy Adu shoots left corner and James has to make a diving save to keep a clean sheet for England. Adu and Lewis make a great combo for the US…they need more of that.

89 min: Peter Crouch tries a bicycle kick. Lanky tall white guy equals AWKWARD.

Game Over: 2-0 England! They controlled the ball most of the game and the win was well deserved. As for my live blogging, it can only improve and I don’t think its the best idea for a guy who thinks he has ADD.