England are on the brink of a World Cup exit after suffering a second 2-1 defeat, this time being outwitted by Uruguay and Luis Suarez. Adam Bate gives us his verdict on the players with the help of Opta statistics...
Friday 20 June 2014 00:54, UK
Wayne Rooney got his goal but there was little else for England to cheer as Luis Suarez scored twice to all but end the hopes of Roy Hodgson's team.
Sloppy defending and poor decision-making in the final third combined to scupper England's progress. Few came out of this one with much credit...
England’s goalkeeper was edgy early on as he patted balls away from his goal-line and didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Even so, the protection afforded Hart was minimal from set-pieces and open play. There was little he could do to prevent Suarez’s first but he might have stood up a split second longer to deny the crucial second.
Key stat: Joe Hart faced just two shots on target in the match and conceded both times.
One of several culpable for the first-half goal and failed to make the most of the fact that he saw plenty of the ball. Johnson did at least continue to show willingness to get forward and ask questions of the Uruguay defence and was rewarded for his ambition in setting up Rooney for the equaliser with a determined run and tackle/cross.
Key stat: Glen Johnson was one of only two players on the pitch to create three chances in the game.
A nervy turn in the opening stages seemed to set the tone for an unconvincing performance. An ugly clearance let in Cristian Rodriguez for a shot shortly afterwards and Jagielka was finally punished when Edinson Cavani’s lofted pass eluded him. The centre-back was simply caught out by Suarez’s movement.
Key stat: Phil Jagielka did not commit a single foul in the game.
He brought the ball out confidently and produced a good tackle inside the six-yard box to deny Cavani. With eight clearances in the first-half alone, Cahill took responsibility well and had a much better time of it than his centre-back partner – right up until the winner. Taking the chance of letting Suarez run offside didn’t seem the worst move, but Cahill had failed to anticipate a flick-on from his own captain. England were punished.
Key stat: Gary Cahill made 18 effective clearances, seven more than anyone else on either side.
The England left-back looked a little slow to pick his passes before the break but did grow into the game as the team camped out in the Uruguay half. Some of his enterprise was impressive but the final delivery wasn’t always up to scratch, aside from one low effort that reached Rooney only for the England No.10 to be denied.
Key stat: Leighton Baines was one of only two players on the pitch to create three chances in the game.
Covered well early on and was his usual tidy self without ever imposing himself on the game with the sort of intensity he can show in a Liverpool shirt. Henderson might have done more to stop Nicolas Lodeiro as the Uruguayan ran free to set up the opener but it was typical of his passivity. The midfielder might feel he failed to seize his opportunity in Brazil.
Key stat: Jordan Henderson made more passes (61) than any other player on either side.
There was the odd raking pass and some good set-piece delivery but this was a miserable game for the England skipper. He lost what turned out to be a vital tackle in the build-up to the first goal and then allowed the ball to slip off his head for the winner. A disastrous end to a frustrating season for Gerrard and a sad way to finish his business with the World Cup.
Key stat: Steven Gerrard played more accurate long passes (7) than anyone else in the game.
There were signs of his dribbling ability in those early stages even if it was restricted to the right flank. But while Sterling seemed to have the beating of his man, he was a little irresponsible – losing the ball in dangerous areas. The teenager drifted out of the game in the second half before being withdrawn to give Ross Barkley a run out.
Key stat: Nobody committed more fouls (3) than Raheem Sterling even though he was substituted just after the hour mark.
Finally, that long awaited World Cup goal. Even on the night, it was a battle. Rooney hit the crossbar with a close-range header and then spurned a left-footed chance when well-placed after the interval. But he kept wanting to make things happen and got his reward with a composed finish to level the scores. Rooney won’t escape criticism but he was among the better performers.
Key stat: Wayne Rooney scored his first World Cup goal for England, ending a run of 759 minutes without finding the back of the net.
Tried to get forward down the left with his trademark athleticism and retained the ball well enough. But the final ball was noticeable by its absence and Welbeck is not a player with the guile to unlock a deep defence. He was replaced by Adam Lallana.
Key stat: No England player made more tackles (3) than Danny Welbeck despite him being withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining.
A frustrating mix of brooding threat and wasteful final delivery. Sturridge showed his quality with some fine flicks, good control, winning free-kicks and engineered space seemingly at will at times. However, when the chances came his way the shots were scuffed and moments wasted. He did at least play a part in England’s goal.
Key stat: Daniel Sturridge had more shots on target (3) than any other player including two-goal Luis Suarez.
Just as in Manaus against Italy, Roy Hodgson turned to Ross Barkley and Adam Lallana in search of invention. Barkley looked his usual confident self in possession, while Lallana used the ball effectively enough without finding that killer ball. Rickie Lambert did not have time to show what he could do.
Key stat: Adam Lallana completed all 14 of his passes, the only player on either side to reach double figures without wasting a ball.
