Flashback to England vs USA 2010 World Cup: Rob Green's fumble
Steven Gerrard’s perfect start, Clint Dempsey’s 25-yard potluck effort and THAT cringeworthy fumble from Rob Green… the Three Lions are out for redemption after the humiliating draw in South Africa the last time England and the USA clashed
- England will play the USMNT at the 2022 World Cup Group B on November 25
- The Black Friday clash presents the opportunity for redemption for England
- The last time the sides met at the World Cup the USA managed to snatch a point
- Steven Gerrard opened the scoring for Fabio Capello’s side after four minutes
- But a howler from Rob Green allowed Clint Dempsey’s effort to trickle in
- Click here for all the latest World Cup 2022 news and updates
As soon as the 2022 World Cup Group B draw was announced, memories flooded back to the last time England and the USA met at the tournament when the Three Lions were held to an embarrassing 1-1 draw at the hands of the Americans in South Africa.
Both sides were immediately relishing the chance of a repeat of their 2010 clash. For the USA, it presented the opportunity to upset their rivals once again and for England, a rematch.
England and the US have gone head-to-head 11 times between 1950 and 2018. The USA has only managed to come out on top twice, first dating all the way back to just five years after the end of World War II and then in 1993, when England manager Gareth Southgate was just a baby-faced defender making his way through the ranks at Crystal Palace.
The clash between the two sides in 2010 remains the only time they have shared the spoils.
And the stalemate undoubtedly rests in the minds of both the English and American fans – for entirely different reasons.
For the English it produced undoubtedly the most cringe-inducing of World Cup fumbles and a disappointing draw.
The last time England and the USA met in the World Cup was during the Group Stages of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where the USMNT caused an upset by clinching a 1-1 draw
Clint Dempsey’s (centre) shot five minutes before halftime snatched a point for the USA
Dempsey’s shot trickled over the goal line after England goalkeeper Rob Green’s fumble
Before the contest in South Africa, England fans were expectant. It was a group they were expected to easily emerge from, if not win. However, it was the Americans who came out of the clash seemingly with the bragging rights, the New York Times famously leading with the headline of ‘USA WINS 1-1’.
Steven Gerrard gave coach Fabio Capello the perfect start to this South African mission when he slid Emile Heskey’s pass beyond Tim Howard after only four minutes.
While it was not a peak performance from the Three Lions then on, they did manage to maintain their lead with relative comfort.
That is until five minutes before the break, when the moment that will haunt the dreams of Rob Green forevermore occurred.
West Ham goalkeeper Green was selected ahead of David James and Joe Hart to start in England but he did very little to reward Capello’s faith in him as he surrendered one of the softest goals in England’s World Cup history.
Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard gave the Three Lions the perfect start to the contest
The midfielder slid Emile Heskey’s pass beyond Tim Howard (right) after only four minutes
Clint Dempsey offered an effort that was little more than pot luck from 25 yards that appeared to be traveling at a pace even a grandmother could save.
However, Green hopelessly allowed it to squeeze through him and he haplessly clawed at the infamous Jabulani ball as it trickled over his goal-line.
He could only look back in horror as the ball – and his England career – slipped away.
It was both hilarious and excruciating, and set the tone for a pretty abysmal 2010 World Cup campaign for Capello’s men.
Green sat face down on the Rustenburg pitch, with ITV’s commentator Clive Tyldsey only being able to muster a line of ‘that will take some getting over’.
And it did. Green’s blushes could not be spared by any of his teammates, who were then unable to find a winner, but the blame for the humiliating stalemate was entirely laid at the goalkeeper’s door.
Green hopelessly allowed the ball to squeeze through him and he haplessly clawed at it
The goalkeeper could only look back at his goal in horror as the ball trickled between his posts
Green sat face down on the Rustenburg pitch as Dempsey celebrated with his teammates
England did have opportunities to repair the damage, but Emile Heskey shot straight at Tim Howard with only the keeper to beat.
Wayne Rooney was kept subdued by the Americans for the most part and hit an effort just wide, while substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips saw his angled drive saved by Howard.
The Three Lions were almost embarrassingly punished again when the USA exposed a glaring lack of pace in England’s central defense.
Jozy Altidore raced past Jamie Carragher with ease only for Green to apply some repairs to his shattered reputation by turning his shot on to the post.
England had their share of injury woes too. Ledley King, whose fitness was already in doubt when Capello named him in his squad, was substituted off after 45 minutes with a groin injury.
James Milner lasted only 30 minutes as he made way for Wright-Phillips after having been a surprise inclusion in the side following a recovery from a virus earlier in the week.
Emile Heskey (left) shot straight at US goalkeeper Howard in a chance to repair the damage
Wayne Rooney was kept subdued by the Americans for the most part and shot just wide
The fumble set the tone for a pretty abysmal World Cup campaign for Fabio Capello’s men
Eventually, England then ran out of ideas as they tired – leaving Bob Bradley’s US side to celebrate a hard-earned point.
Green had been given the nod by the Three Lions boss over James as Capello was unconvinced about the veteran’s fitness levels.
But the howler signalled the end of Green’s campaign as James replaced him for England’s next outing – a goalless stalemate against Algeria.
Earlier this year, after England drew the USA again, Green reflected on the moment, explaining the unreliable Jubulani balls made the difference.
‘It was one with the balls that they had then – the Jabulani – there were really unreliable,’ Green said on CBS.
‘You weren’t really sure on the bounce. And I went down and rather than it hit my hand [in a different spot than expected] and that was the difference between stopping a simple shot and not stopping it.
‘And I just felt my hand curbing over because I was trying to keep the ball down. It didn’t. And from that point on it kind of was like “wow it happened. Refocus. Get back on the game”. Because only one thing works and that’s doing it again.
The howler signalled the end of Green’s campaign as he was replaced by David James (above)
After this year’s draw, Green explained that the unreliable Jubulani balls made the difference
‘So you have to get on and get on with the rest of the game. It was a tough moment but one that as soon as the draw was made, I knew this moment would come.’
Green also had the best reaction to the two sides drawing each other in the group stage again this year. The former goalkeeper simply tweeted the side-eye emoji.
Meanwhile, Dempsey, who was speaking alongside Green on CBS, revealed that it was an awkward topic for him, despite the joy of scoring for his country.
‘It’s still kind of awkward to talk about it because it was like a high moment (for me),’ Dempsey said, adding that he could sympathize with Green.
‘It wasn’t awkward when he was celebrating,’ Green quipped back.
Dempsey revealed that it was an awkward topic for him, despite the joy of scoring
‘That is true but just in terms of being in a difficult situation for him but for me it was obviously a high,’ Dempsey responded.
‘But also I don’t know if I talk about this like publicly or not, but something that people may not really know about as I had a sister who passed away when she was 16 from a brain aneurysm.
‘A few years before that probably growing up in the country or something, I didn’t have much to do. We talked about all kinds of different things and one of the things we talked about is like if we ever pass away would you want to come back and write something on a mirror or something like that?
‘Nah, that would be too scary! Then I remember saying like whatever happened maybe you can help me out in a game or something like that. To me I look at that situation because really throughout my whole career that’s the only situation that was kind of like divine intervention.
‘At that was almost like it was kind out of your hands – no pun intended there. But there was something special they are in terms of what why that goal kind of went in.
Dempsey and Green discussed the incident at the 2010 World Cup on CBS earlier this year
‘That’s just kind of how I look at it and that’s why its a difficult situation for me to talk about but you know, things happen in the game.’
‘It was a big moment for me,’ Dempsey added.
‘When you’re a kid, that’s the biggest stage. That’s what I dreamed about – to try to be at the World Cup. And to be there, to play against England – the country I was playing in as well – is just, just a special moment.’
After the World Cup memories their last encounter created – the good and the ugly – both sides will be gearing up for the Black Friday clash and England will especially be out for redemption.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=kph2PluMr_g%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article