England V Ghana (Setanta Ireland & ITV)

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 7:35pm #1

International friendlies have been coming under increasing scrutiny for several years, but focus has not been upon the relevance of a fixture ahead of Tuesday night's meeting with Ghana at a sold-out Wembley.

Instead of concentrating on a match against tough opponents, 2010 World Cup quarter-finalists, which is likely to prove a stern examination after the comfortable 2012 European Championship qualifying win over Wales, England have a number of distractions.

Most have been self-inflicted by manager Fabio Capello, who is continuing to flail amid a shambles of a captaincy debate, a Jose Mourinho squabble and divulging the details of a private conversation with Andy Carroll regarding the striker's alcohol intake.

They are unnecessary sidetracks for England, when the match, which is also a fundraiser for a cash-strapped Football Association, should be an opportunity to experiment on selections, formations and tactics.

In the turmoil, England will be happy to prioritise 90 minutes of football after what seems a long three days since the well-organised defeat of Gary Speed's woeful Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Versatility

It will be a much-changed side in front of a 90,000 crowd in North West London and a number of fringe players will have the opportunity to prove their ability and versatility, as Capello plans for June's European Championship qualifier against Switzerland.

Newly-reinstated skipper John Terry, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney have all been released ahead of next week's UEFA Champions League commitments at club level.

In addition, Kyle Walker has returned to Aston Villa after being ruled out with a groin injury, while Aaron Lennon withdrew as a fitness precaution on Monday night and has been replaced by on-loan Sunderland striker Danny Welbeck.

Carroll is expected to start, meaning Welbeck looks like back-up to substitute Peter Crouch, with Jermain Defoe and Ashley Young expected to start either side of Liverpool's £35million striker in the spearhead of a 4-3-3 formation.

Despite not featuring against Wales, Gareth Barry will captain England after temporarily wearing the armband in the friendly with Denmark, and the Manchester City man could be partnered in central midfield by club-mate James Milner.

Impact
It will be an important night for Barry following the emergence of Scott Parker, who has undergone a scan on a calf injury, while the advanced Jack Wilshere, for who Capello has also expressed concerns regarding his personal life, should also start.

Joe Hart is expected to continue in goal behind a defence of Everton pair Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka, Bolton centre-back Gary Cahill and Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson.

Head coach Goran Stevanovic takes charge of Ghana for the third match and will aim to maintain his 100 per cent record, as his team bid to become the first African side to defeat England at Wembley.

Ranked 16th in the world by Fifa, 10 places below England, Ghana arrived in London following a weekend win over Congo and Stevanovic is concerned about the impact of jet-lag after flying via Kenya.

But the Serbian has no new injury concerns and will be quietly confident in the first senior-team meeting between England and Ghana.

Stevanovic is able to call on Premier League players such as Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, John Pantsil, captain John Mensah and Richard Kingson.

Possible starting XIs:
England: Hart, Baines, Cahill, Jagielka, Johnson, Milner, Barry, Wilshere, Defoe, Young, Carroll.

Ghana: Kingson, Sarpei, Jonathan Mensah, John Mensah, Pantsil, Andre Ayew, Kwadko Asamoah, Muntari, Annan, Gyan, Tagoe.

Liking the look of the England line up, although I can't remember it to post!

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 7:42pm

Oh yeah, I reckon Ghana will win also.

England: Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Milner, Barry, Wilshere, Downing, Carroll, Young.

Ghana: Kingson, Pantsil, Vorsah, John Mensah, Lee Addy, Adiyah, Annan, Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Muntari, Gyan.

The_B_Man · 29-03-2011 7:49pm

This is on Setanta.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 7:53pm

And ITV.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:00pm

It's going to be quiet in here methinks.

I don't think I've seen so many fans for the away team at Wembley!! Nor have I ever heard the away fans out sing the home fans. :eek:

partyndbs · 29-03-2011 8:03pm

i dont think ive ever heard an atmosphere ever at an england match

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:11pm

Good keeping from Harte, prevents an embarrassing goal!!

LuckyGent88 · 29-03-2011 8:29pm

Unlucky there from Young but should have finished it really. England piling on the pressure now

flahavaj · 29-03-2011 8:33pm

Andy Carroll is sloooooow.

England look better with this formation, some genuine width and pace between Young, Downing and Milner interchanging.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:41pm

Jesus, Carroll is pathetically slow.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:42pm

That should be a red for Baines, can't believe he didn't even get a yellow!!

adox · 29-03-2011 8:43pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

That should be a red for Baines, can't believe he didn't even get a yellow!!

Yeah agree. All the annoying listening to Townsend dismissing the challenge.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:47pm

1-0 Carroll.

Good goal.

LuckyGent88 · 29-03-2011 8:47pm

Good link up play between the two Villa players to set up Carroll for his first goal. Great finish too.

RandolphEsq · 29-03-2011 8:47pm

How many times does it happen that the ball goes through the blocking defender's legs and in?

adox · 29-03-2011 8:48pm

Nice finish from Carroll although on first viewing, it looks like he fouled the defender.

stumpypeeps · 29-03-2011 8:51pm

Carroll has a bit of a hammer for a left foot. Needed a goal, has looked a little short of confidence since his return. Still needs to get fitter.

Downing has been very good so far. I'd take him ahead of Young.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:53pm

Hopefully Wellbeck will come on, I actually thought he'd start.

Rob113 · 29-03-2011 8:53pm

Quite a good game this. Don't have sky so can't watch the Ireland game. Ashley Young is looking good. Hopefully we do see him in a utd jersey next season. Hopefully there are not too many substitutions at half time. Should be more goals in this.

Rob113 · 29-03-2011 8:54pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hopefully Wellbeck will come on, I actually thought he'd start.

I wonder what kind of reception he will get off the Ghana fans if he does come on.

mike65 · 29-03-2011 8:55pm

Highly entertaining gam,e some cracking chances both ends, dunno if 4-3-3 is the new way forward but it's making for much more enjoyable football.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 8:57pm

Rob113 wrote: »

I wonder what kind of reception he will get off the Ghana fans if he does come on.

Well in fairness I'd imagine most of the Ghana fans are English too.

Rob113 · 29-03-2011 8:59pm

MagicMarker wrote: »

Well in fairness I'd imagine most of the Ghana fans are English too.

Would they not much prefer to see him lining out for Ghana though. I don't think Capello will throw him on tonight.

dreamers75 · 29-03-2011 9:11pm

Rob113 wrote: »

Would they not much prefer to see him lining out for Ghana though. I don't think Capello will throw him on tonight.

They prolly keeping hush over the Boateng fiasco :pac:

LuckyGent88 · 29-03-2011 9:20pm

That was a vital block by Barry there.
God the crowd are ridiculous. Biggest official away attendence for an English international home game.

dreamers75 · 29-03-2011 9:41pm

Rob113 wrote: »

I wonder what kind of reception he will get off the Ghana fans if he does come on.

Not pleasant.

LuckyGent88 · 29-03-2011 9:43pm

Dodgy stuff Hart

dreamers75 · 29-03-2011 9:51pm

What a ****ing goal.

1-1 Gyan

Glico Man · 29-03-2011 9:51pm

Lovely goal from Gyan

Nuri Sahin · 29-03-2011 9:51pm

Awesome goal from Gyan, superb.

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 9:51pm

lol, it's as if Ghana just won the world cup.

osullic · 29-03-2011 9:52pm

Amazing timing

master-t · 29-03-2011 9:53pm

Great goal!!

Rob113 · 29-03-2011 9:53pm

Nothing more than they deserved. Good game. Gyan is a great player.

mike65 · 29-03-2011 9:56pm

Gyan was probably the busiest player of the game really deserved that.

steelcityblues · 29-03-2011 9:57pm

Gyan the man!

Guy:Incognito · 29-03-2011 10:00pm

Jesus Ghana are getting a bit over excited about drawing with England in a friednly.

Neil3030 · 29-03-2011 10:02pm

The fans'/players' celebrations after the Ghanaian equaliser is what international football is all about. Money can't buy that. Fantastic scenes.

flahavaj · 29-03-2011 10:05pm

Superb finish from Gyan - when he got the ball, the obvious and probably correct thing was to play it wide to the player overlapping on the right in acres of space. Instead he did the difficult thing and did it well, which is the sign of a good player.

As good a friendly as you'll ever see. Great atmosphere. Nice to see Welbeck get his senior debut. For the few minutes he was on, Lescott was an absolute liability. Pure donkey.

Guy:Incognito · 29-03-2011 10:05pm

Neil3030 wrote: »

The fans'/players' celebrations after the Ghanaian equaliser is what international football is all about. Money can't buy that. Fantastic scenes.

If it was the other way round peopel would be taking the piss out of England big time. It's a friendly, and one int he middle of the season at that, but thats an arguement for another thread.

flahavaj · 29-03-2011 10:12pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

If it was the other way round peopel would be taking the piss out of England big time. It's a friendly, and one int he middle of the season at that, but thats an arguement for another thread.

If it was Ireland who equalised in the last minuted vs England, you'd have seen similarly joyous scenes. Lighten up FFS.

dreamers75 · 29-03-2011 10:12pm

flahavaj wrote: »

If it was Ireland who equalised in the last minuted vs England, you'd have seen similarly joyous scenes. Lighten up FFS.

Especially if there was 20,000 of us there.

mike65 · 29-03-2011 10:16pm

Were there 20,000 in the Aviva tonight?

Neil3030 · 29-03-2011 10:31pm

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

If it was the other way round peopel would be taking the piss out of England big time. It's a friendly, and one int he middle of the season at that, but thats an arguement for another thread.

You're right, but only because the English players to a large extent typify everything that's gone wrong with the modern game, to the extent that them celebrating anything other than the acquisition of a new Bentley would be highly irregular. You can see how passionate the Ghanaian fans and players are for their team, and they really enjoy every minute of it. This made for a great game of football and a wonderful atmosphere, which, as I've said, is what international football is all about.

ShaneU · 29-03-2011 10:31pm

Looks like Carroll REALLY enjoyed that goal

MagicMarker · 29-03-2011 10:32pm

What the fúck is up with his leg :eek:

Paully D · 29-03-2011 10:41pm

Absolutely over the moon tonight.

A very good game, 4 Sunderland players representing their country, and a cracker of a goal from Gyan to grab a draw, which I felt was well deserved.

Football was the winner tonight. I'm not the biggest fan of international friendlies but the passion and pride shown by both the Ghanaian fans and players was a joy to see. They have waited many, many years to get to play England and it will feel like a win for them tonight.

There's going to be one hell of a party in Accra!