England vs Mexico, International Friendly

· International Friendly

England

17': Ledley King
34': Peter Crouch
47': Glen Johnson

FT
3 - 1

Mexico

45'+3': Guillermo Franco

About

England are hosting Mexico at Wembley, , , starting on . The match is a part of the International Friendly.

Match Timeline

0': Join us at 2000 BST to see if England can succeed in their friendly match at Wembley against Mexico.
0': Good evening one and all and welcome to live coverage of England's friendly with Mexico at Wembley. With only 17 days and two games to go for Fabio Capello before the World Cup starts the battle for places begins here.
0': England: Green, Johnson, Ferdinand, King, Baines, Walcott, Milner, Carrick, Gerrard, Crouch and Rooney.
0': Ledley King gets his first international appearance in three years, alongside captain Rio Ferdinand at the back, while Leighton Baines, James Milner and Michael Carrick all get starts.
0': It looks as if Milner and Carrick will line up in central midfield with Gerrard and Walcott on the flanks. Peter Crouch will look to add to his impressive goalscoring tally for England - the robot has got 20 goals in 37 appearances.
0': We'll have the Mexico team for you as soon as it comes through.
0': So, the inevitable chatter about the pitch; Blackpool's Gary Taylor-Fletcher, who played against Cardiff in the play-off final on Saturday at Wembley, blamed his injury in the game on the turf and says somebody could have their World Cup dream wrecked by it tonight. Cheery chap isn't he?
0': The powers that be have decided not to water the surface, despite it being the hottest day of the year so far in England, presumably because that will make slipping more likely. Let's hope we're not talking about it come 10pm.
0': At last, Mexico's team: Perez, Juarez, Aguilar, Marquez, Salcido, Osorio, Torrado, Rodriguez, Giovani, Franco, Vela. Subs: Ochoa, Michel, Barrera, Castro, Blanco, Hernandez, Moreno, Guardado, Magallon, Torres, Bautista, Medina, Jonathan.
0': Fabio Capello on tonight's result: "It's not important, but it's better to win."
0': The teams are out and we're all set...
1': We begin....
2': A nice touch before kick-off as three members of the UK armed forces were applauded by the 90,000 strong Wembley crowd. Over 1,000 army personnel are in the crowd tonight. Juarez has the first effort on goal but hits it high and wide.
3': A super ball from Milner releases Walcott who gets down the right but can't find Crouch with a simple cross. Great start, poor finish.
4': Mexico win a free kick and then Franco does well to turn Ledley King just inside the area, and he really should have done better with his effort. King will be a relieved man to see it flash wide.
5': A very lively start to the game and it looks open at both ends. Marquez directing play from the middle of the park.
6': Gerrard fails to slide a ball inside the defender to Rooney who would have been in on goal.
8': Some nice, crisp passing from Mexico as England are forced to sit in a little. They certainly aren't lacking in confidence, Mexico.
9': England give the ball away, Carrick the culprit, and Juarez strides forward before firing a shot off King and behind for a corner.
10': What a superb ball in from Aguilar. The right back fires a low cross right across the face of goal but niehter Dos Santos nor Vela can turn it home. England rocking a bit here early on.
11': Milner gets down the left as England break but his cross is claimed at the second attempt by goalkeeper Perez.
12': Gerrard tries to flick Carrick's pass to Rooney but Salcido clears the danger.
13': Gerrard is cleaned up by Juarez, and so is Crouch for that matter. The Liverpool skipper goes off to get treatment as blood trickles from his forehead.
14': England break with Walcott but they end up playing it all the way back to Rob Green. Gerrard is back, complete with Terry Butcher style bandages round his bonce.
15': King's long ball for Baines forces Aguilar into a mistake and England have a corner.
17': GOAL! King!
17': England's first real quality ball into the box sees Crouch nod across goal and King glance into the corner past Perez. What a good nod.
18': Mexico try to hit back immediately but Vela's shot is blocked and then Carrick wins a free kick. What a return for Ledley King; three years out and he's on the scoresheet after 17 minutes.
19': Good pressure from England as they force Mexico into a mistake in their own half, exactly how the goal came about.
20': A good cross from Giovani but no-one is in the box to profit from it. The goal hasn't dampened Mexico's spirit; they are still dominating possession.
21': To illustrate the point, Maxico have had 59% possession thus far.
22': A brilliant spin from Rooney frees him and he is away on goal but only a superb challenge from Rodriguez prevents him shooting.
23': A neat pass from Marquez finds Salcido down the left but his ball in finds numbers lacking in the box but Giovani wins another corner.
24': England are playing on the counter like the away side here. Mexico have looked very useful so far.
25': Theo Walcott is frightening the life out of Salcido. He breezes past the defender and then decides to pass to Rooney, but he was a yard offside. Typical Walcott there; great until the finish then picks the wrong option.
26': Mexico work a shooting chance for Aguilar and as his shot spins into the box Salcido heads at goal but from an offside poasition.
27': Nearly but not quite from England as Gerrard and Walcott combine but then the save of the match from Rob Green, who saves Baines' bacon. The left-back misjudged a long ball, Franco fed Vela but Green makes a wonderful save to preserve England's lead.
28': Franco cuts inside but Ferdiand blocks. Mexico are bound to score at this rate.
29': Now they've hit the post. Mexico move the ball round superbly and as Salcido's effort is returned to him via a block from Milner, his curling effort beats Green all ends up but hits the upright.
30': This is a bit embarrassing for England. They are being dictated to by a very lively side.
31': Mexico are being given far too much time and space to pick out their passes. We need a few white shirts snarling in their faces and snapping at their heels.
32': Methinks Capello might be raising his voice slightly at half time.
33': Lovely ball into the box from Rooney as Crouch smells a goal but Rodriguez is there again. England corner.
34': GOAL! Crouch!
34': They've been battered but England lead 2-0. A nice short corner sees Gerrard fire a cross into the box, Rooney's header is brilliantly saved by Perez but Crouch stands tall for the rebound and rolls it in on his arm by the looks.
35': Now Green makes another vital save as Vela charges through the heart of England's defence. Vela's right footed effort is right at Green but he makes a good solid save.
37': What a good half of football this has been. If Mexico had England's cutting edge it'd be 3-2 to them.
38': Salcido has another pop and Green spills a ball that bounced in front of him but no-one was following it in. Now Walcott has been clattered by Franco but looks ok.
39': Crouch was a yard offside for the goal too. Mexico hard done by.
40': Now Walcott is done for pace by Salcido, who gives the winger a shove. England free kick wide right.
41': Torrado clears Gerrard's ball in and then Johnson does well to shepherd the ball back to Green as Vela looks to profit.
42': Giovani dashes through the middle again but Carrick just gets a toe on the ball before he shoots and the effort dribbles wide.
43': Salcido has what must be his fifth effort on goal in the half. Not bad for a left back. This one lacks power though and Green saves comfortably.
44': Two minutes added as Mexico come forward again. Ferdinand clears Juarez's cross.
45': GOAL! Franco!
45': Marquez gets a free header from the corner and though Baines stops it on the line, Franco stabs it home to give Mexico a thoroughly deserved goal. And that is half time; an entertaining 45 minutes.
46': Joe Hart, Jermain Defoe and Jamie Carragher have come on and Rob Green, Rio Ferdinand and Peter Crouch have gone off. We start again.
47': GOAL! Johnson!
47': Oh my word what a goal! Walcott lays off to Johnson on the right, and he cuts inside and unleashes a superb left foot shot into the top corner. His first England goal, and a peach.
47': The posh seats at Wembley all missed that goal - they are still in the bar judging by the empty seats behind the dugout.
48': I should also say that Manchester United's new signing, Javier Hernandez is on for Mexico.
49': What a storming run from Baines, charging past three players before being clipped by Osorio. Defoe carries on but the move breaks down.
50': Now Carrick feeds Walcott on the right and his ball in is excellent for a change but no-one can get a touch on it.
51': Mexico change: Aguilar off, Barrera on.
53': Nice break from England, who look a lot more purposeful in this half, and Gerrard swaps passes with Walcott before looping an effort onto the roof of the net.
54': Rooney was not happy with Walcott after that move. He wanted the ball played in first time to the near post.
55': Now Gerrard and Defoe combine nicely before Turrado nudges the former off the ball just before he was about to shoot. That looked a bit iffy.
56': Hart has his first test as Hernandez has a go but the Man City keeper is right behind it.
57': Rooney's temper flares up as Rodriguez derailed him. He laucnhes a verbal volley at our Japanese ref.
58': A smashing ball in from Giovani to the back post leaves Hart and Johnson stranded but Barrera can't meet it on the slide.
59': Here come some more England changes....
60': Rooney is clipped by Turrado and Wembley holds its breath but the man is up and about.
61': England change: Carrick off, Huddlestone on. For Mexico Guardado is on for Vela.
62': Big chance for Huddlestone now. He can stake a claim for the final 23-man squad here. Milner has gone wide right and Gerrard goes central.
63': Oh the irony. The England fans start a Mexican wave.
64': Berrera cuts inside Milner and has a go but again, it is straight at Hart.
65': A superb England move as Defoe feeds Rooney, who slips in Gerrard and Barrera shoves the Scouse skipper over. Just a yellow for the offender, as its a friendly. Free kick right on the edge of the box.
66': Milner touches off to Gerrard who sidefoots a yard wide of the post. Giovani was booked in the build up for not retreating ten yards, the silly boy.
67': Milner is fouled by Guardado. Mexico are getting a bit niggly now.
68': A sublime pass from Rooney to slide Johnson into the area but Berrera makes a timely intervention.
69': A rare break upfield yields a corner for Mexico.
70': The corner breaks down and Mexico build again to win another one as Milner challenges Berrera. Another change: Giovani off, Blanco on.
71': Poor cross from Guardado and Hart is down to claim.
72': Ledley King whacks the ball out of play under pressure from Blanco. He looks a little jaded.
74': The game has died off a little now. Maybe due to the changes, maybe due to the heat.
75': Joe Hart comes and claims a free kick from Guardado. He'll want a bit more to do, in order to show Capello what he's capable of.
76': Berrera dances past Baines, who has not had a good game, and flashes a ball right across the face. Walcott off, Lennon on.
77': Gerrard slides in to win the ball off Blanco but is penalised by the referee. The Mexico players want a card; laughable.
78': Guardado hits it but high and wide over the bar. Poor.
79': Blanco tries to find Hernandez but the striker ends up clattering into Milner, who looks knackered.
80': Mexico are having much more possession now but Blanco's ball into the box is rather aimless and England have a goal kick.
82': Milner is involved centrally again. He's had a solid but unspectacular game, as Perez charges out to deny Defoe getting to a loose ball. Rooney's chip is cleared by Marquez on the line.
83': Gerrard gallops into another tackle. He's certainly shown his hunger tonight.
84': Hernandez has another crack but the ball flies wide. Now then, Adam Johnson is coming on for his debut as Milner goes off.
85': Berrera picks up King's poor clearance and has a go but again it is right at Hart. They like a shot on goal do these Mexicans.
86': Johnson very nearly gets in on goal as Rooney managed to find him. He was having his shirt pulled by Juarez but still managed to cross but Marquez cleared.
87': That was Adam Johnson by the way, not Glen.
88': Unbelievable speed from Lennon, who accepts Rooney's ball and cut inside Rodriguez. The defender hacks him down cynically and gets a yellow. Free kick.
89': Baines strikes the free kick but right into the wall.
90': Five minutes added....
91': Tired legs out there now as Carragher hammers a ball out of play.
92': Johnson (A) does well to find Huddlestone but his raking ball out wide is unusually poor.
93': Johnson (G) makes another intervention and that is the final whistle. England were shaky in the first half but better in the second, and with no obvious injuries, it has been a successful night. They head back to the Alps for more altitude training tomorrow, then it is Japan on Sunday. Thankls for your company.

Statistics

MEX		ENG
20	Fouls	9
3	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
3	Offsides	3
7	Corner Kicks	3
2	Saves	8
65.7	Possession	34.3
23	SHOTS	8
9	ON GOAL	5
0.4	On Target %	0.6
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
533	Accurate Passes	243
606	Passes	317
0.9	Pass Completion %	0.8
8	Accurate Crosses	3
26	Crosses	13
0.3	Cross %	0.2
40	Long Balls	55
29	Accurate Long Balls	31
0.7	Long Balls %	0.6
7	Blocked Shots	1
15	Effective Tackles	14
17	Tackles	18
0.9	Tackle %	0.8
0	Interceptions	0
9	Effective Clearances	12
15	Clearances	27

Game Information

Competition: International Friendly

Venue: Wembley
Location: ,
Attendance: 88,638

Line-Ups

England (4-4-1-1)

No.	Name
1	Robert Green (GK)
6	Ledley King
5	Rio Ferdinand
3	Leighton Baines
2	Glen Johnson
8	Michael Carrick
11	James Milner
4	Steven Gerrard
7	Theo Walcott
9	Peter Crouch
10	Wayne Rooney

England Substitutes:

Scott Parker, Joe Hart, Jamie Carragher, Emile Heskey, Michael Dawson, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Tom Huddlestone, Matt Upson, Adam Johnson, Stephen Warnock, David James, Jermain Defoe, Aaron Lennon.

Mexico (4-4-2)

No.	Name
12	Óscar Pérez (GK)
2	Maza
5	Ricardo Osorio
3	Carlos Salcido
13	Paul Aguilar
6	Gerardo Torrado
4	Rafael Márquez
17	Giovani Dos Santos
16	Efraín Juárez
9	Guillermo Franco
11	Carlos Vela

Mexico Substitutes:

Jorge Torres, Javier Hernández, Adolfo Bautista, Alberto Medina, Israel Castro, Andrés Guardado, Pablo Barrera, Jonny Magallón, Guillermo Ochoa, Héctor Moreno, Luis Michel, Jonathan dos Santos, Cuauhtémoc Blanco.

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