ESPN announcer Marcelo Balboa, speaking just after the final whistle: “I’m not impressed with England at all.”
Two superb goals by Peter Crouch and Stephen Gerrard in the waning moments of the game were impressive in my eyes. Good thing that Sven didn’t pull Crouch in the 24th minute, as Balboa had suggested.
Another ESPN commentator and former player, Eric Wynalda, said that England “won ugly.” Julie Foudy chimed in with more empty words about England’s sup-par performance.
Why am I less critical of England? It is because I recall that Trinidad & Tobago held steadfast against a steady onslaught by the Swedes. That the T & T defense managed to hold England scoreless until the 83rd minute is more of a testament to their abilities than it is to an abysmal effort by the English. Yes, there were missed opportunities by Crouch, Gerrard, Lampard, and Owen; their finishing could have been much better. Yet the team did not go away. Beckham launched a picture-perfect cross to Crouch, who rose to the occasion and broke Shaka’s spell. Finally Gerrard found the goal after a handful of misses on overly optimistic long shots.
It is true that, as an American, I’m just a beggar at the World Cup table: oh, the delight of supporting a team that can get the job done, even though it’s playing at a level below its very best. All of you cranky Brits should put yourselves in our shabby shoes for a day.
Wynalda just said that Gerrard had “one chance.” Huh? That Gerrard and Lampard should “switch positions.” Say what? During the match Balboa stated that T & T looked more dangerous than England and that they looked like a team “happy to go out and just kick the ball around.”
What’s the number of the Spanish-language station?
Sadly, my impression of the game is dominated by the clumsy commentary. Why employ announcers who overstate the significance of every play, overanalyze each failed effort to score, and speak simply to fill the airwaves?
And so I will follow my own advice and say no more.
Except for a final word in praise of John Terry. His half-closed eyes give him the appearance of an aged punk-rocker, but on the field there’s no fiercer representative of the three lions.