England vs Japan, International Friendly

· International Friendly

England

22': Michael Owen

FT
1 - 1

Japan

53': Shinji Ono

About

England are hosting Japan at City of Manchester Stadium, , England, starting on . The match is a part of the International Friendly.

Match Timeline

0': A first-choice Eriksson eleven goes up against Zico's tourists at the City of Manchester Stadium. Join us for live commentary of England's penultimate warm-up before Euro 2004, kicking off at 8pm UK.
0': Welcome to the City of Manchester stadium for tonight's friendly between England and Japan. It will be England to kick off, kicking from left to right.
1': This is only the second time the two countries have met, the last time nine years ago.
2': England have given away the first free kick of the game, Lampard fouling Kaji.
3': Nine of Japan's starting eleven play in the J-League. The Italian referee has stopped the match because there are two balls on the field.
4': England are, as expected, dominating the early possession, with Gary Neville sending a deep cross to the back post, but Steven Gerrard cannot control.
5': Beckham sends in a fantastic cross to the unmarked Owen, but Japan clear their lines for a corner.
6': From the resultant corner, John Terry's near-post header is half-stopped by Narazaki and then hacked clear from off the line to deny the Chelsea man his first-ever England goal.
7': It's all England at the moment, with Campbell finding Terry at the back, before Nakamura's left-wing cross is headed clear by Gerrard.
8': Scholes finds Lampard wih a wonderfully cheeky back-heel in the centre circle, but it comes to nothing.
9': Scholes again finds Beckham on the right flank, however for once, the England skipper's centre is overhit and Japan clear their lines.
10': Again the home side build patiently from the back, with Neville and Beckham linking effectively down the right, but England play too many passes on the edge of the area and Scholes gives away possession.
11': Lampard runs at the visitors' back four, before Owen is found by Scholes, but Gerrard's through-ball is just too heavy.
12': Campbell heads clear from Narazaki's goal kick.
13': Owen comes deep to win possession on the halfway line, but Japan win a throw-in level with the England penalty area.
14': The cross is played too close to David James, who gets a rare touch.
15': Neville wins a free kick for England in a very dangerous position, which Beckham takes, but Lampard's goalbound volley from the edge of the area is deflected for a corner.
16': A quick throw by England comes to nothing though and Japan clear their lines temporarily.
17': Owen comes desperately close to taking the lead, but is stopped at the last minute by a great tackle, before Beckham drills the rebound harmlessly off target.
18': Scholes spreads possession to the right, but Lampard cannot quite control the through pass in his direction.
19': Ono starts a rare Japanese attack, but the linesman raises his flag for offside.
20': Campbell stretches to clear his lines and then starts an England attack, which ends with Lampard blazing high and wide.
22': Goal for England. Gerrard tries his luck from distance and Narazaki cannot hold on, leaving Owen with a simple tap-in, his 25th international goal.
23': Nakazawa shows some silky skill in midfield, but Mr.Reliable Gary Neville is there to head back to James.
24': Santos creates a shooting chance for Kubo, but his effort is blocked.
25': Now Tamada has an even better shot that forces James to parry the ball to safety - a warning to England.
26': Beckham is penalised for showing his studs in a tackle. Slightly harsh.
27': Inamoto loses possession and Beckham delights the crowd with a step-over.
28': Gerrard wins a throw-in down by the left-hand corner flag and the Liverpool captain is looking lively this evening.
29': Now Cole wins a left-wing corner, but Beckham's delivery cannot quite reach Lampard's forehead.
30': Another warning for England, when Nakamura forces James to turn aside a low shot, which is then scrambled to safety.
31': And, moments later, the visitors are again allowed to shoot at England's unprotected No 1, who is up to the test, holding on low to his left.
32': Santos glides past Neville on the edge of the penalty area, but has no one in support, although Gerrard is then forced to concede a corner.
33': Miyamoto misses an open goal with a free header, six yards out, that he somehow manages to direct off target.
34': Japan are now back defending, forcing England to go back, before they can go forward, before Alex concedes a free kick on the halfway line.
35': Kubo is found with a clever pass on the edge of the area, but he fails to redirect his return pass and James gathers.
36': Cole does brilliantly to win back possession for England with a sliding tackle in the left-back berth.
37': Now it's Nakamura's chance to shoot on site, but Terry's giant frame gets in the way.
38': Scholes is given space to run at the Japanese defence, but as it opens up, he drags his shot wide of the post.
39': Japan waste possession with an overhit pass by Feyenoord midfielder Ono, which goes out for a throw-in.
40': Beckham is back defending for England, heading calmly back to Terry and the home side then break upfield, before Beckham's deflected cross goes out for a corner.
41': But, the right-wing corner by Beckham again hits the first defender, leading to a Japanese counter, before Cole saves the day for England with a last-ditch saving tackle that results in a corner.
42': However, the left-wing corner is easily headed clear by the England defence.
43': As we approach half-time, Japan have certainly come back into proceedings, and they have won another corner, this time from the right.
44': Japan's deep corner to the edge of the area eventually finds Santos, whose runs takes him into the area, before Scholes brings the forward down, but the Italian referee waves away the visitors' claims for a penalty.
45': Beckham attempts to find his old club-mate Scholes, but his chipped through-ball is headed clear.
46': The assistant referee signals that there will be one minute of added time at the end of the first half.
46': And that is the end of what has been an entertaining first half, with England starting the stronger of the two teams, but the Japanese have not been over-run at all, and could well have been awarded a penalty towards the end of the first period. England lead 1-0 though.
46': England get the second half underway, kicking from right to left, leading Zico's Japan 1-0.
47': The visitors are keeping possession of the ball in their own half at the start of this second period.
48': Both teams have not made any changes at the break.
49': Owen breaks clear down the left, and his pull-back finds Cole in the area, but the left-back miskicks, probably surprised to see himself in that position.
50': England are awarded a free kick in a perfect position for Beckham, 25 yards out and central, but it strikes the wall and goes out for a corner.
51': Beckham's left-wing corner is punched clear under pressure by Narazaki.
52': Japan have a goal kick after Gerrard's left-wing centre is overhit, but again it is England who have won back possession easily.
53': Gerrard finds his club-mate Owen with a glorious cross-field pass, and then Lampard is released down the left-hand channel of the Japanese penalty area, before blazing over the bar.
53': GOAL! Japan have scored a fantastic goal involving Alex and Nakamura, whose cut-back is literally passed into the net by Ono for his fourth goal for his country.
55': Japan deserve their equaliser and are now going in search of a second, only for Terry to clear a dangerous-looking centre.
56': Owen almost restores England's lead with a scintillating solo run, only for Narazaki to deny the Liverpool striker with a near-post block.
57': Gerrard drives forward, but gives the ball away and to England's relief the visitors are caught offside on the counter.
58': But, Rooney wins a free kick in a very dangerous position, right on the edge of the area and yes, you've guessed it, Beckam is lining it up.
59': Narazaki reads the England skipper's intentions and has no problems saving his effort.
60': Japan make a double substution, bringing on Yanagisawa and Suzuki for Tamada and Kubo.
61': Japan do well to head clear a dangerous right-wing centre and now break upfield, only to give away a needless free kick.
62': Rooney wins a throw-in, but Neville's centre is weak and easily cleared.
63': The stats show that England have had nine efforts on goal to Japan's seven.
64': England are building from the back now, with Lampard and Gerrard exchanging passes, but again Neville's deep cross cause few problems to the Japanese defence.
65': Rooney goes on one of those individual runs that he is now famous for, only to over-run the ball.
66': Neville comes to England's rescue, making a brilliant tackle as the last man on Nakamura, otherwise the midfielder would almost certainly have scored.
67': Japan look like the more likely scores at the moment and are taking the game to England.
68': But, Terry steals possession and sets up a dangerous England counter, however Owen's centre is deflected away for a corner.
69': From Beckham's right-wing corner, Campbell's knock-down finds Rooney, who appeals for a penalty when it appears as though he is blocked, but the referee disagrees.
70': Back come Japan, the 25th best team in the world according to FIFA, and this match could go any way at the moment.
71': Still no substitutions made by Sven-Goran Eriksson, although captain Beckham is currently down injured after a clash of heads.
72': Relief for Eriksson as Beckham gets to his feet and the game gets underway again.
73': Ono finds Nakamura with an accurate cross-field pass, and Suzuki is denied a near-post header by Campbell's crucial headed intervention.
74': Japan's left-wing corner causes few problems, but the ball breaks to Nakamura, who is unchallenged as he runs into the penalty area, before unleashing a screamer that is only inches off target.
75': Japan have now won a free kick that flashes across the penalty area, although the linesman has seen a Japanese infringement.
76': England make a triple substitution, taking off Scholes, Rooney and Owen and replacing them with Dyer, Vassell and Heskey.
77': But, it is still the visitors who are controlling proceedings, attacking England at every opportunity and sensing a famous win.
78': Dyer gives away possession cheaply in the centre circle - this is a good opportunity for the three substitutes to try and make an impression on the England manager.
79': Japan's goalscorer, Ono, comes close to scoring his second of the night, but his curler from distance is just too high.
80': And now it is Alex's chance to test James, and his long-range effort bounces just in front of the keeper, who does well to parry the shot to safety.
81': Three more changes made by England, with Butt, Hargreaves and Cole replacing Lampard, Beckham and Gerrard.
82': Still Japan come forward, only for Terry to recklessly give away a free kick in a very dangerous position on the edge of the box.
83': Nakamura takes the resultant set-piece, but it drifts high and wide.
84': There is a worry for England, with Beckham's ankle currently being strapped and iced on the touch-line.
85': Phil Neville replaces his brother, who appears to have suffered a dead leg.
86': Four minutes to go, and the game appears to be heading for a draw, which would be a disappointing result for England.
87': Heskey is set clear down the left wing, but his cross is cleared at the near post and England have a late corner.
88': Campbell comes desperately close to sealing what would be an undeserved win for England, but his unmarked header sails inches off target.
89': Another worry for England, with Terry limping off with a tight hamstring, to be replaced by Ledley King.
90': One final chance maybe for the home side, as Joe Cole wins a right-corner, which is taken by Hargreaves, but easily cleared by the visitors.
91': Hargreaves is given a shooting chance on the edge of the box, however the Bayern Munich player's shot never threatens to trouble Narazaki.
92': Inamoto is stretchered off in what is the Fulham man's 50th appearance for his country, to be replaced by Fukunishi.
92': We are heading into the third and final minute of added time that the fourth official indicated to be added on.
93': And that is the final whistle and England are currently suffering their worst post-war run without a win, last achieved in September.

Game Information

Competition: International Friendly

Venue: City of Manchester Stadium
Location: , England
Attendance: 38,581

Line-Ups

England

No.	Name
1	David James (GK)
2	Gary Neville
5	John Terry
6	Sol Campbell
3	Ashley Cole
8	Paul Scholes
7	David Beckham
4	Steven Gerrard
11	Frank Lampard
10	Michael Owen
9	Wayne Rooney

England Substitutes:

Paul Robinson, Ian Walker, Wayne Bridge, Phil Neville, Ledley King, Jamie Carragher, Nicky Butt, Owen Hargreaves, Joe Cole, Kieron Courtney Dyer, Emile Heskey, Darius Vassell, Jermain Defoe.

Japan

No.	Name
1	Seigo Narazaki (GK)
22	Yuji Nakazawa
5	Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
3	Keisuke Tsuboi
14	Alessandro Santos
18	Shinji Ono
6	Junichi Inamoto
21	Akira Kaji
10	Shunsuke Nakamura
20	Keiji Tamada
9	Tatsuhiko Kubo

Japan Substitutes:

Yoichi Doi, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Atsuhiro Miura, Makoto Tanaka, Takayuki Chano, Toshiya Fujita, Takashi Fukunishi, Mitsuo Ogasawara, Yasuhito Endo, Masashi Motoyama, Takayuki Suzuki, Atsushi Yanagisawa.

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