Footy fans at San Francisco Civic Center celebrate Clint Dempsey's equalizing (1-1) goal against England during a group stage match of the 2010 World Cup, 6/12/10. Photos by Luke Thomas
By Luke Thomas
June 12, 2010
A sloppy mistake by England goalkeeper Robert Green gifted the United States an unexpected 1-1 draw in their first group stage match of the 2010 World Cup earlier today.
It was a preventable blunder Green will be hard-pressed to forget and an opportunity lost for the favored England side.
Fulham FC star Clint Dempsey struck the unlikely equalizer for the US in the final minutes of the first half from 25 yards directly into the hands of Green, who watched agonizingly as the ball escaped his save and rolled over the goal line.
Dempsey’s goal answered Steven Gerrard’s strike after four minutes of play. A one-touch pass from Emile Heskey connected with a running Gerrard who made no mistake in stabbing right-footed past a beaten Tim Howard.
But as comfortable as England looked in drawing first blood, they showed serious vulnerabilities in their backline and came close to losing the encounter when Jozy Altidore outpaced England defender Jamie Carragher with uncomfortable ease and fired close range at Green. Green assuaged his earlier sin when he successfully parried Altidore’s bullet off the near goalpost, preserving the 1-1 scoreline.
While squandering several scoring opportunities in the second half, England also found it difficult to dominate against a resilient American squad. A confidant and able Tim Howard, despite becoming increasingly busier after the break when Coach Fabio Capello’s men pressed with more frequency, did well to prevent England from adding to their spoils.
Questions of fitness, lineup, and strategy will likely be foremost in Capello’s mind after failing to secure all three points against a fourteenth-seeded tournament team. The sluggish pace of Carragher, 32 and John Terry, 30, was a glaring weakness in England’s arsenal. Capello may also be thinking about reassigning a modified role for striker Wayne Rooney, who was largely ineffectual throughout, and may do better playing him in an attacking midfield role where his speed, dribbling, passing and playmaker skills are better suited to creating more chances on goal.
Though the US team was outgunned today, they will have plenty to celebrate after holding the mighty fifth-seeded Lions to a well-deserved draw, a result that may rightly be considered a victory.
Next up for the US and England: Slovenia and Algeria, Friday, June 18.
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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The Hunger Site
June 14, 2010 at 10:36 am
Hey, it’s entertainment,
The Giants fill their stadium sometimes when there are hundreds of thousands attending other protests or parades nearby. This is a party town and soccer is just one show.
It does seem to cross borders better than American baseball and football. I really loved the scene at Civic Center with a couple of thousand people from all over the world, all near naked and all painted up in their national colors, having a great time together. Didn’t see a single hooligan. Guess they’re all in South Africa being drowned out by that incredible giant bee hive sound.
h.
June 13, 2010 at 4:00 pm
What is this cup that everyone in the world supposedly wants? What makes it so amazing that everyone wants a drink from it?
June 13, 2010 at 11:17 am
Strange that the U.S. calls the game that’s mostly about passing, tackling, and running with a “ball” hugged close to the chest football.
June 13, 2010 at 8:27 am
“Is soccer even a real sport?”
Considering football is played in more countries by more people than any other team sport, the answer to your question, Marc, is a resounding yes! It’s also the fastest growing sport in the US and is doing wonders to combat childhood obesity.
June 13, 2010 at 6:28 am
Yawn. Is soccer even a real sport?
-marc
June 13, 2010 at 5:26 am
The U.S. has a kick ass goalie, but I’d like to see Ghana vs. North Korea in the finals, with Ghana winning the Cup. (I know, but I’m a dreamer.) Watching the Congo Leopards win the CHAN 2009 turned me into a soccer fan, http://goo.gl/isTv.
Neither Rwanda nor Congo qualified and when Congo tried to play Rwanda, seems the ref made a few questionable calls, after which fights broke out and the Rwandan Police arrested the whole Congolese team before it was over. Rwandan coach Jean Bosco Kazura, like the coaches of all teams that competed to qualify, got free tickets to the games in South Africa, but Rwandan President Kagame had him arrested on the way for fear he’d meet up with two generals who fled the country earlier this year to plan an invasion, http://goo.gl/mo9d. But that seems unlikely at least until after the World Cup.