Sports commentary on major events from the timesonline.co.uk
Not a classic, but England dominated a very ordinary USA team. Gerrard was the pick for England with his link up play with Rooney and intelligent running from midfield. Beckham looked lively in the first half and showed that he still has something to offer his country. Once again in an England friendly, too many substitutions have stifled the rhythm of the game. They could have installed a revolving door on the touchline there were so many and Sven isn't even manager anymore.
This Sunday, England visit Trinidad & Tobago for another friendly. Call it a charm offensive towards Jack Warner, the Fifa vice-president. We're looking for his support towards hosting the 2018 World Cup. A shock defeat seems in order.
Adu intercepts a Hargreaves pass and runs towards the England goal. He cracks a low right-footed shot but James gets down to make a routine save.
Bizarrely, the England band are playing the Indiana Jones theme music. If you've seen the latest instalment, like this match, it only makes you think of what could have been.
England are content to play on the break. Hargreaves wins possession in the centre circle, swaps passes with Joe Cole and bombs down the right wing before winning a corner. He's got a great engine. The corner kick comes to nothing as Terry commits a foul.
James makes a very good save after Joe Cole is beaten by the wily Eddie Lewis. The Derby winger skips past his marker and loops a dangerous ball into the six-yard area but James is alert in punching the ball to safety.
Unsurprisingly, Rooney is replaced by Joe Cole. It's Cole in the hole behind Crouch. Edu comes on for Clark. That's right, the USA will attack with Adu and Edu.
Rooney is given a yellow card for a foul on Hejduk. He gives the Greek referee his usual hand-waving and cursing package. It's a tiresome routine, especially when he didn't need to commit the offence.
A crowd of 71,000 has been announced for the game and they celebrate with a Mexican wave. Always a sign of boredom.
A flurry of substitutions for both sides. The most notable being Peter Crouch for Defoe and Freddy Adu comes on for Wolff. Adu, you may remember, was touted as the 135th incarnation of Pele when he burst on the scene as a 14-year-old. He's playing for Benfica these days and would no doubt be glad of even a modest career after the early fanfare that surrounded him.
Dempsey shows some of the Fulham fighting spirit to beat Gerrard with neat skill. Wolff bravely meets his cross inside the England penalty area with a diving header but the ball goes wide.
The USA are looking ragged. It's a concern because they have road games against Spain and Argentina coming up next. Rooney nearly gets on the end of a raking diagonal pass from Bentley that splits the visitors' defence but Guzan plucks it from the Manchester United striker's feet.
GOAL! Gareth Barry comes on for Frank Lampard and immediately plays a first-time pass into the path of Gerrard who strides forward and strokes his finish past Guzan to double England's lead.
David James has been immaculate with his handling tonight. He plucked Beasley's corner kick out of the air with ease. The Pompey 'keeper, sporting a fine afro, was reminiscent of a 1970s basketball star rising for a cheap dunk.
Guzan makes a sharp save from Defoe after the Portsmouth striker collects Terry's deep free-kick and rolls his marker easily before unleashing a scissor-kick that is too close to the USA 'keeper.
Half-time substitutions saw David Bentley replace Beckham for England. The Blackburn winger looks to have gone into his local barbers and asked for a "Private Walker". Well, it's unlikely he would have said "greasy comb over".
Bob Bradley, the USA coach, has replaced Cherundolo with Hejduk and Tim Howard swaps his place in goal with Guzan.
England are nearly caught cold as Eddie Johnson connects beautifully with a Beasley cross from the left wing. It flies wide of the England goal.
It has not been the greatest half of football, but England have had enough set-pieces to have increased their lead especially when you consider the deadball sharpshooters they possess. The USA side are a pale imitation of the teams that have overachieved in recent World Cups. Expect their fans to sing "Bring back Bruce [Arena]" in the second half.
The last action of the half sees Rooney career into Clark. It's almost wince-inducing, but the USA midfielder gets up and shakes the striker's hand.
Cherundolo commits a foul on Defoe on the edge of the USA area. The defender is booked. Becks is on the case ... and he hits the wall. Next time is Lampard time.
Onyewu trips Defoe on the edge of the box and inexplicably Gerrard is allowed to smash the free-kick into the USA wall. Hello? Beckham is on the pitch. A wasted opportunity.
GOAL! That should make Terry feel a whole lot better. The Chelsea skipper thumps a header home from Beckham's free-kick from the right after Golden Balls was flattened by Ricardo Clark.
A much better move from England as Rooney releases Gerrard down the left wing and his low cross finds Jermain Defoe who puts it wide under pressure from Pearce. He should have done much better.
Fabio Capello doesn't look too concerned despite taking a little stroll in his technical area. Stuart Pearce is sitting on the bench with what looks to be an Ordnance Survey map. Let's hope it is as you have to be suspicious of copious note-takers (where does it get you? Steve McClaren and Steve Coppell spring to mind)
John Terry seems to be holding it together. I can't criticise him for his Moscow tears. I used to well up listening to the Grandstand theme tune.
USA have their first shot on goal as Johnson and Dempsey combine neatly on the right-hand side of the England penalty area. They'd call it a give-and-go, to us it was the old one-two. Johnson shoots weakly from a wide angle and David James gathers it easily.
Rooney manages to break away from Carlos Bocanegra after the USA defender slips down the right flank. The Manchester United forward cuts the ball back to Gerrard who has broken into the box but it is too far behind him and Clint Dempsey blocks his shot.
Gerrard whacks a square pass across to Beckham who is loitering on the edge of the USA penalty area. The ball pops up for him and he trys to hit it on the up and unfortunately hits it over the bar. It would have qualified as a converted field goal.
Wayne Rooney looks up for the match, but then he looks up for every match. Imagine playing against him in the garden at a family get-together? You'd earn your trifle when called in for tea.
The hue of USA kit seems to have picked from an Airfix colour chart. We'll call it "Battleship grey". Dull like the match so far.
According to plan, Cole puts Gerrard into space, but Clark brings him down for a free-kick. Beckham whips an inswinger that flies through the USA penalty area and into touch. It needed a touch.
Steven Gerrard is playing on the left of England's midfield, but is roaming as Ashley Cole is pushing into that area at every opportunity. They are looking to release the Liverpool captain into the channels beyond the USA defence.
Heath Pearce is fouled by Beckham and the USA have the first dangerous set-piece of the match from the left flank. Rio Ferdinand heads the ball powerfully away.
Beckham's first attempt at a pass goes straight into an opposition player's chest. He does better with a header back to his goalkeeper, David James. Yup, that's right. Not much is happening at the moment.
The home side are in white with blue shorts and the visitors are wearing a dark grey jersey with white shorts. Remarkably, 1,300 away fans have made the trip over the pond. Great effort.
Sir Bobby Charlton is greeting the teams. He is going to make a presentation to David Beckham in recognition of the LA Galaxy midfielder's century of caps. It's Beckham's 101st start tonight for his country. It wouldn't have the same cachet if David Bentley were in the first XI, poor lad. Beckham gets a brown cap in a huge case. He'll have trouble getting that home, unless he breaks the glass and wears it.
Kelly Rowland, the contemporary recording artist, is singing both anthems. Which one will Becks puff his chest out to? Both, of course. He's transatlantic now.
England: James, Brown, Ferdinand, Terry, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Hargreaves, Lampard, Gerrard, Defoe, Rooney. Subs: Hart, Lewis, Johnson, Bridge, Warnock, Woodgate, Bentley, Jagielka, Wheater, Huddlestone, Barry, Joe Cole, Downing, Young, Crouch, Ashton, Walcott, Agbonlahor.
USA: Howard, Onyewu, Cherundolo, Pearce, Bocanegra, Dempsey, Bradley, Clark, Beasley, Johnson, Wolff. Subs: Guzan, Califf, Lewis, Jaqua, Adu, Edu, Hejduk.
Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece)
It's official, Fabio Capello can speak English. The national team should be in no doubt as to what the Italian requires of them after their disappointing defeat against France in their last match.
John Terry has been named England captain and the Chelsea skipper will be looking to put his Champions League disappointment behind him with a commanding display at the heart of defence.
The United States will prove a decent test at Wembley. They are unbeaten in 2008 under the leadership of Bob Bradley and have won two out of the five matches between the sides (England have won the other three).
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It has been a cracking match with a wealth of wasted chances and plenty of needle to boot. United are going first in the shootout.
Tevez goes first. He sends Cech the wrong way. 1-0.
Ballack next. He can't miss, he's German. 1-1.
Carrick. He sends Cech the wrong way. 2-1.
Belleti, a late Chelsea sub, braves the shootout. 2-2.
Here's Ronaldo. He tries a stutter step and ... and it's saved. 2-2.
Lampard. He scores and points to the sky. 2-3.
Hargreaves needs to score. He does, just. 3-3.
Ashley Cole steps up. Van der Sar gets his hand to it, but it creeps in. 3-4.
Nani scores. 4-4.
Terry strides up to win the European Cup. He slips as he hits the ball and it goes wide. 4-4.
Anderson scores. 5-4.
Kalou to save the day ... he does. 5-5.
Giggs. Strokes it home. 6-5.
Anelka. Van der Sar saves. United win the European Cup 6-5 on penalties.
Even with four minutes of injury time at the end of the second half of extra time we go to penalties.
Kalou made a break down the left but he had no support. Chelsea are going for penalties now they are a man short.
Drogba is sent off for his part in the fracas. He slapped Vidic across the face as the players came together. It didn't hurt the Serbian, but it was seen by the officials and he had to go. Tevez, who started it all, got a yellow card.
Hands up who has got cramp? Carvalho, Ashley Cole and Terry all take a breather. It results in a free for all as Tevez loses patience with the Chelsea players.
Vidic concedes a foul as he mistimes a tackle on Anelka. Drogba winds up from 30-yards out and hammers the ball wide.
The first 15 was frantic and brilliant. It will be amazing if this game goes to penalties with the amount of gilt-edged chances that have been created.
Television pictures show United fans swapping shirts for policeman's hats. It's a con. They keep the jerseys but the wide-brimmed headgear seldom gets past customs.
Makelele's weak pass allows United to break. The ball eventually works its way to Tevez and his quick shot is easily saved by Cech. Ferguson's team are picking up their performance again.
Evra makes a driving run down the left wing and cuts the ball back for Giggs whose first-time shot with the outside of his boot is headed over the bar by Terry.
Nicolas Anelka replaces Joe Cole. Avram Grant is going in for the kill.
Lampard hits the crossbar! Kalou's introduction has an instant impact. Chelsea build down the left and ping the passes around to free Lampard inside the United penalty area. He turns on the ball before letting rip with his left foot.
Salomon Kalou looks as if he is going to come on. Somehow he wasn't ready in the five-minute interval. Will extra time mirror the first 90 minutes? If so, then expect United to dominate for then next 15 minutes.
We're going to extra time which illicits a variety of responses from the players. Ronaldo looks sad at the prospect but Lampard has a determined demeanour and gestures to the Chelsea bench that he needs his legs massaged ready for more action.
Joe Cole rides a heavy challenge from Ferdinand (the defender effectively hurdles the diminutive midfielder) inside the penalty area but is put off by the raising of the linesman's flag. The ref waves play on but the momentum is lost.
Ryan Giggs is coming on for United to make his 759th appearance to break Sir Bobby Charlton's record. They need some fresh ideas from the old campaigner.
Malouda tries something different with a free kick on the right side of the United penalty area. He dinks the ball into Drogba's feet at the near post, but he can't squeeze a shot on goal.
Chelsea's performance in this half must be on a par with anything they have produced this season considering the opposition and the occasion. Sadly, Ballack balloons a first-time shot into the crowd (and they are a long way back) after receiving a square pass from Drogba.
Drogba hits the post with a rasping shot after exchanging passes with Makelele 20 yards from goal. The finish deserved better.
Lubos Michel is famous for awarding a 'ghost goal' against Chelsea in 2005 and tonight he summons a 'phantom corner' for United despite Ronaldo miskicking the ball out of play after pressure from Joe Cole. Luckily, the set piece does not lead to a major incident.
The players are dropping to the ground like Drogba on a bad day. Makalele is dazed after Tevez gets him in a head lock as they tussle for space in the Chelsea penalty area. The Argentinian needs to be more subtle in getting rid of his frustration.
It looks as if the pitch is taking its toll. Both Ferdinand and Lampard suffer a bout of cramp, but the United defender is feeling it the most.
Carrick, who has been invisible for most of the game, acrobatically clears a free kick from Malouda. Does being quietly effective mean the same thing as being effectively quiet?
It seems an age since Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez constructed an attack and the reason is Chelsea's dominance in midfield.
Chelsea are picking up their game and looking much more threatening in attack. Malouda is oozing confidence on the left wing and Lampard is lurking with the intention of playing the killer pass.
Both teams are getting joy down the flanks. Malouda's cross from the left byline is headed cleared by Vidic from six yards out with Drogba breathing down his neck. Superb defending.
Malouda breaks through the centre of midfield and picks out the rampaging Essien with a fine pass inside Evra. Essien cuts the ball back on to his left foot but hoists a rotten shot over Van der Sar's crossbar.
When he is on his game Ashley Cole is as sprightly as a ballerina. He's showing no signs of yesterday's injury as he wins a defensive header, bounces up from the deck and clears the ball long upfield to prevent a corner. What, you've never read a kind word written about him?
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