England v Brazil

[winchester_royal]

STOP GIVING THE BALL TO GARY FUCKING CAHILL

[DandyRoyal]

STOP GIVING THE BALL TO GARY FUCKING CAHILL

I can't help but agree

[buzzby]

Luiz pulling Cahills shirt is more of a penalty than Brazils

[buzzby]

Great finish from Lampard

[DandyRoyal]

Walcott's got Adriano on toast. Cute from Lampard.

[UpThePrem]

Love him or hate him, you have to hand it to him, he's still pure class.

[Ian Royal]

Love him or hate him, you have to hand it to him, he's still pure class.

He is a phenominal finisher from 20 yards or in. Less good when he goes for power from longer. Our crossing from the right is a little disappointing, not really getting too close to a white shirt. Baines looks class since he's come on.

[paultheroyal]

Luiz pulling Cahills shirt is more of a penalty than Brazils

This shirt pulling is absolutely ridiculous. Clear penalty.

Other than a few defensive frailties this is a decent performance by England. Build up prior to England goal was fantastic.

[sandman]

Poorest Brazilian side I've seen tbf. Some good individuals but they're nowhere near what they were as a team. Usual technically deficient, run as fast as you can stuff from Engerland. They won't be able to play at 100 mph in the heat at the WC and that's where the lack of technical ability will really show.

[Zammo]

Need to start watching TV games with the sound down. Seriously, what the fcuk is Andy Townsend on ?? He's either mumbling or stating the obvious.

Oh, Brazil are sh*t, so don't get to excited by that England fans. Argentina will p*ss the next World Cup.

[Royal With Cheese]

Need to start watching TV games with the sound down. Seriously, what the fcuk is Andy Townsend on ?? He's either mumbling or stating the obvious.

ITV commentary is primarily for people who don't understand football. Niall Quinn has also carved out this niche on Sky.

[cmonurz]

Poorest Brazilian side I've seen tbf. Some good individuals but they're nowhere near what they were as a team. Usual technically deficient, run as fast as you can stuff from Engerland. They won't be able to play at 100 mph in the heat at the WC and that's where the lack of technical ability will really show.

Brilliant that England have achieved such a good result that the only thing you can think to write them down on is the likely weather in Brazil.

[Para Handy]

Scum can't even shut their gobs during a minute's silence.

Whoever's fans it was, it's wrong; but it's not like United fans haven't taunted Liverpool or Leeds over equally tragic circumstances. You ignore it and move on.

I don't get this ... it was LIverpool/Man Utd/Chelsea stuff. It was England fans unless it was the Brazilians, which tbh I'd find surprising. England fans have always been chavvy classeless pcunts. How many times have I cringed hearing another nation's national anthem booed. The English national team, unfortunately, seems to attract the most rabid, ill educated, mob possible.

P.S. I'm English, and yes, I've been to quite a few England games. FTR.

[Stuka]

Back from the game.

It was all right I suppose.

[cmonurz]

Not a dig at you Stuka, but I do wonder what people want/expect from the England side. We are winning a lot of games, and playing decent enough English-style football. What more can we ask of the side, and Hodgson who, for the most part has confounded his critics so far. But for the Ibrahimovic show, he'd still be unbeaten as England manager.

[Royal Rother]

Best performance from England for quite a while.

Passing, moving, linking up. Good to see.

A very Le Fondre style finish from Lampard - class.

[Hoop Blah]

Must be watching a different game - England look pretty good to me.

This.

Even in the first 20 when it's been said we were a little nervous and under the kosh I think we looked good. We didn't look that secure in defence but we did get at them and create as many opportunities as they did. If anything they were the more direct side with their better two opportunites coming from long balls.

Not a dig at you Stuka, but I do wonder what people want/expect from the England side. We are winning a lot of games, and playing decent enough English-style football. What more can we ask of the side, and Hodgson who, for the most part has confounded his critics so far. But for the Ibrahimovic show, he'd still be unbeaten as England manager.

Totally agree with this too. This might not be Brazil's strongest side ever, but you'd never have guessed that in the build up to the game when everyone was hyping up Neymar (a very good player obviously) and I'm sure we've heard for the last 20 years that their side isn't what it used to be.

Last night we put in a very credible performance. We played some good football and created the better opportunities throughout the game. That doesn't mean we can do it when the pressure is on or when it really matters in the heat of Brazil and over the length of a tournament. It does show, as did the backs to the wall defeat of Spain and the general performance against Sweden, that we can hold our against anyone and give ourselves a chance of winning most games IF we play anywhere near out potential.

If Hodgson can harness the talents of some of the young players coming through, whilst finding a way to get the best from Rooney and Gerrard and tightening up at the back then we'll be there and there abouts with the other top teams in the world. That's where we should be and where I think we will be.

[BR2]

What did Hodgson learn from last night?
Walcott is a sprinter but has a long way to go in terms of passing.
Wilshere runs about a lot (not so much diving last night) and once he learns that beating 2 players is enough because you inevitably lose the ball to the 3rd and put your side in trouble he could become a better player.A good passer of the ball but needs to be more disciplined in his positional play.
Steven Gerrard could possibly play in his role for the next 2-3 years.
If Cahill and Smalling didn't play for their respective clubs they might find it very difficult to get in an England side.
Ashley Cole might as well retire now and let Baines have his chance (Cole caught out by pace in the first half and pace has always been his strength).
Welbeck?-in most other eras he probably wouldn't have got a game.

The game itself was quite enjoyable but ruined for the viewer by it being on ITV (as Silver Fox and I have been going on about for years).
The Uruguay v Spain game earlier was good to watch and served as a reminder that we are still a long way down the pecking order and shouldn't expect much from our national side for the next 10 years or so by which time English players might finally learn that keeping the ball is essential.

[cmonurz]

More than one way to play football. The successful Germany team of the last World Cup didn't particularly retain possession, they were just very good when they had the ball.

[Royal Rother]

Wilshere runs about a lot (not so much diving last night) and once he learns that beating 2 players is enough because you inevitably lose the ball to the 3rd and put your side in trouble he could become a better player.A good passer of the ball but needs to be more disciplined in his positional play.

That's really the best you can come up with? Personally, after years of watching Gerrard underperform for his country* I thought it was excellent to see a young English midfielder step up and suggest he might really belong on the world stage.

(Mind you, it was only against the 18th rated club in the FIFA rankings.)

* He's been decent of late, and was last night.