England v USA: The Fallout

The waiting finally came to an end for England fans in Rustenburg on Saturday, but it was the same old story. Struck by the infamous goalkeeper curse, Robert Green gifted the USA a crucial point in Group C‘s key fixture leaving England‘s World Cup hopes in the balance.

For England, the fallout amounts to more than just the end of Robert Green‘s international career…

Another bad day at the office saw England begin their World Cup 2010 campaign in unconvincing style against the USA. Bereft of ideas up front and lacking solidity at the back, the Three Lions looked miles away from their pre-match favourites tag. But they still got a draw, right? The fallout from the match against the USA could be much more damaging than a few dropped points:

Goalkeeper Curse. If you didn’t see it live, don’t worry. They’ll be playing it on every World Cup highlight reel until the end of time. Robert Green‘s gaffe places him in an elite group of goalies that have succumbed to the England keeper curse. Remember Paul Robinson‘s miskick against Croatia in 2008? Where the heck is he now? Does Fabio Capello drop Robert Green and bring in the half-fit David James (another not immune to the odd blunder)? Or will he turn to the inexperienced hands of Joe Hart? It’s time for Fabio Capello to earn his daily bread and make the difficult decisions.

Depleted Defence. With Rio Ferdinand out, all eyes were on Ledley King to fill the void at the back. For 45 minutes King huffed and puffed in and around England‘s 18-yard box partnering John Terry to promising effect. But that’s where it ended. Ledley King, whose fitness was the subject of so much debate when Capello named his squad, lasted half of England‘s first match before pulling up with a groin injury. While Fabio Capello has assured the watching media that injury-prone King will be back against Algeria on Friday – a must win fixture for England if they are to progress – the sight of Jamie Carragher lugging his old knees across the back-line won’t scare any of the top brass attacking sides.

Winging It. Joe Cole was everyone’s pre-match pick to fill England’s left-midfield slot. With James Milner suffering from a virus and Shaun Wright-Philips being Shaun Wright-Philips, the stage was set for Cole to step out of the shadows at Stamford Bridge and conjure up some of that magic from 2006. Not so. Fabio Capello surprisingly chose to start with James Milner and his decision backfired as the out of sorts Aston Villa midfielder left the field after only 30 minutes. Not that Shaun Wright-Philips did any better in his place. The pacy impact sub did little to enhance his claim for a starting spot leaving Joe Cole the real winner on the day.

Support Striker. While Emile Heskey fans will point to the striker’s deft layoff to Steven Gerrard for England‘s opener as enough justification for his inclusion, Heskey once again proved his limited ability in front of goal by missing critical opportunities to snatch the win for England. As Heskey made way for Peter Crouch on 79 minutes, the tide turned back towards England as the giant striker’s presence unsettled the US defence. Crouch couldn’t save the day this time but his record for England – 21 goals in 38 appearances – could prove Capello‘s wild card if he decides to mix things up against Algeria.

Robert Green - the latest England keeper to fall by the wayside