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World Cup Qualifier Player Ratings: England 5-1 Croatia
Bilic's boys were steamrolled as England complete revenge mission & seal qualification.
Sep 9, 2009 5:52:50 PM
ENGLAND
Robert Green - 7 - Relatively untested, but made some good stops and was unfortunate to concede the goal he did.
Glen Johnson - 6.5 - Worked well with Aaron Lennon. A bit of last-ditch defending at 2-0 could have resulted in a penalty for the recently controversial figure, Eduardo da Silva, but it went unpunished. Mere minutes later, he produced a fantastic run and smart cross to set up the third goal and effectively end the game as a contest. However, he was also undone when Croatia netted their only goal of the game.
John Terry - 6 - Didn't have a whole lot to do, but should have headed away the cross that eventually led to Croatia's goal.
Matthew Upson - 7 - Was England's most energetic defender and certainly ensured that Croatia's forwards had very little time on the ball (which was the case anyway).
Ashley Cole - 7 - Surprisingly uninvolved but also untroubled in what was a tidy enough but fairly uneventful display.
Aaron Lennon - 8.5 - Proved himself to be the leading candidate for the right-wing role with an outstanding performance. He replicated and perhaps even surpassed his Spurs form with an incisive run earning a penalty for the first goal, a well-flighted stand-up setting up the second and pulled the Croatians out of position with his run when the third ended up going in.
Frank Lampard - 9 - A near-perfect performance from central midfield. He missed one good chance, but put away another belting penalty early on, had a great free-kick well-saved, scored a deft header and played a smart chip over the top to set up the fourth. On top of that, his energy in midfield made him impossible for Croatia to deal with, particularly in the first half.
Gareth Barry - 7.5 - Certainly hustled in midfield very well in the first half and played a valuable part in England's early dominance. Had a strong shot well-saved early on as well.
Steven Gerrard - 8 - Scored two headers in one game for the first time in his career, both very smartly and powerfully taken, with the first in particular having been preceded by a very smart run. Call it left-wing, call it not his favored position, but it was a faultless performance, yielding two good goals as part of a 5-1 win. Wanting more would just be selfish.
Emile Heskey - 6 - Worked hard as always up front and kept Croatia under pressure, but had two good chances in front of goal and missed them both. The story of his career...
Wayne Rooney - 7 - Surprisingly uninvolved, but always showed good touches whenever in possession, particularly in setting up the fourth goal.
Substitutes
Jermain Defoe - 6 - Quite muted and, for a change, not on the scoresheet. Got just half a chance from a good Beckham ball over the top, but his first touch let him down...
David Beckham - 6.5 - A brief central midfield cameo featuring a handful of trademark precision passes and little more.
James Milner - 6 - Did very little in his ten minutes, but certainly looked confident and eager to do some damage.
CROATIA
Vedran Runje - 7 - Made good saves from Barry, Lampard and Lennon. Conceded five but, until the fifth, had been brilliant. Skewing the ball to Wayne Rooney in the 77th minute ruined his evening on a personal level.
Darji Srna - 5 - Wasn't able to impose himself on the game by going forward too much, and was vulnerable at the back when allowing Gerrard to get round the back of him and head in the fourth.
Ivica Krizanac - 5 - Struggled to keep pace with England at the best of times but was particularly culpable as Lampard walked in front of him to nod home the third.
Josip Simunic - 4 - Gave away a needless penalty early on and was guilty of losing the runs of Heskey and Lennon, among others. Loose marking all night made him just about the worst player on the pitch.
Nikola Pokrivac - 4.5 - Playing in the unfamiliar position of left-back, he struggled to contain Aaron Lennon and was implicated in both goals that went against his side in the first half, thus being substituted at the break.
Mario Mandzukic - 5.5 - Stepped up his efforts in the second half after a slow beginning and made himself something of a nuisance for England, but missed one particularly good, although somewhat difficult chance he had from close range.
Ognjen Vukojevic - 5 - Couldn't keep hold of the ball for more than two seconds at any given time and couldn't live with the pace of England's game.
Niko Kranjcar - 5 - Unable, despite some decent effort, to put his foot on the ball and assert any kind of Croatian dominance. Very uninvolved and frustrated performance.
Daniel Pranjic - 5 - Whether left-back, left-wing or alternating between the two, Pranjic did not deliver this evening, particularly as he was turned inside out by Johnson for the third and killer goal.
Ivica Olic - 6 - Certainly didn't lack endeavor, but was starved of service and unable to do more than hurry England defenders. Contributed little else and was substituted at half-time.
Eduardo da Silva - 7 - Didn't get any service, but was booed whenever he touched the ball by a Wembley crowd that still clearly hold him responsible for the diving drama of two weeks ago. Could have had a penalty from a Johnson foul, but did not claim it. Did good defensive work in the second half to help restrict England, and got some reward late on when hammering home a scrambled goal.
Substitutes
Ivan Rakitic - 7 - Showed his capabilities in his cameo with good runs and fearless intent. Did well to beat Johnson and cross in the ball that eventually produced Croatia's only goal.
Mladen Petric - 6 - Played his part in Croatia's goal, even though his offside position should have ruled it out. It was inconsequential in the end.
Ivan Klasnic - n/a.
Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com
For more news on England, visit Goal.com's England section
Robert Green - 7 - Relatively untested, but made some good stops and was unfortunate to concede the goal he did.
Glen Johnson - 6.5 - Worked well with Aaron Lennon. A bit of last-ditch defending at 2-0 could have resulted in a penalty for the recently controversial figure, Eduardo da Silva, but it went unpunished. Mere minutes later, he produced a fantastic run and smart cross to set up the third goal and effectively end the game as a contest. However, he was also undone when Croatia netted their only goal of the game.
John Terry - 6 - Didn't have a whole lot to do, but should have headed away the cross that eventually led to Croatia's goal.
Matthew Upson - 7 - Was England's most energetic defender and certainly ensured that Croatia's forwards had very little time on the ball (which was the case anyway).
Ashley Cole - 7 - Surprisingly uninvolved but also untroubled in what was a tidy enough but fairly uneventful display.
Aaron Lennon - 8.5 - Proved himself to be the leading candidate for the right-wing role with an outstanding performance. He replicated and perhaps even surpassed his Spurs form with an incisive run earning a penalty for the first goal, a well-flighted stand-up setting up the second and pulled the Croatians out of position with his run when the third ended up going in.
Frank Lampard - 9 - A near-perfect performance from central midfield. He missed one good chance, but put away another belting penalty early on, had a great free-kick well-saved, scored a deft header and played a smart chip over the top to set up the fourth. On top of that, his energy in midfield made him impossible for Croatia to deal with, particularly in the first half.
Gareth Barry - 7.5 - Certainly hustled in midfield very well in the first half and played a valuable part in England's early dominance. Had a strong shot well-saved early on as well.
Steven Gerrard - 8 - Scored two headers in one game for the first time in his career, both very smartly and powerfully taken, with the first in particular having been preceded by a very smart run. Call it left-wing, call it not his favored position, but it was a faultless performance, yielding two good goals as part of a 5-1 win. Wanting more would just be selfish.
Emile Heskey - 6 - Worked hard as always up front and kept Croatia under pressure, but had two good chances in front of goal and missed them both. The story of his career...
Wayne Rooney - 7 - Surprisingly uninvolved, but always showed good touches whenever in possession, particularly in setting up the fourth goal.
Substitutes
Jermain Defoe - 6 - Quite muted and, for a change, not on the scoresheet. Got just half a chance from a good Beckham ball over the top, but his first touch let him down...
David Beckham - 6.5 - A brief central midfield cameo featuring a handful of trademark precision passes and little more.
James Milner - 6 - Did very little in his ten minutes, but certainly looked confident and eager to do some damage.
CROATIA
Vedran Runje - 7 - Made good saves from Barry, Lampard and Lennon. Conceded five but, until the fifth, had been brilliant. Skewing the ball to Wayne Rooney in the 77th minute ruined his evening on a personal level.
Darji Srna - 5 - Wasn't able to impose himself on the game by going forward too much, and was vulnerable at the back when allowing Gerrard to get round the back of him and head in the fourth.
Ivica Krizanac - 5 - Struggled to keep pace with England at the best of times but was particularly culpable as Lampard walked in front of him to nod home the third.
Josip Simunic - 4 - Gave away a needless penalty early on and was guilty of losing the runs of Heskey and Lennon, among others. Loose marking all night made him just about the worst player on the pitch.
Nikola Pokrivac - 4.5 - Playing in the unfamiliar position of left-back, he struggled to contain Aaron Lennon and was implicated in both goals that went against his side in the first half, thus being substituted at the break.
Mario Mandzukic - 5.5 - Stepped up his efforts in the second half after a slow beginning and made himself something of a nuisance for England, but missed one particularly good, although somewhat difficult chance he had from close range.
Ognjen Vukojevic - 5 - Couldn't keep hold of the ball for more than two seconds at any given time and couldn't live with the pace of England's game.
Niko Kranjcar - 5 - Unable, despite some decent effort, to put his foot on the ball and assert any kind of Croatian dominance. Very uninvolved and frustrated performance.
Daniel Pranjic - 5 - Whether left-back, left-wing or alternating between the two, Pranjic did not deliver this evening, particularly as he was turned inside out by Johnson for the third and killer goal.
Ivica Olic - 6 - Certainly didn't lack endeavor, but was starved of service and unable to do more than hurry England defenders. Contributed little else and was substituted at half-time.
Eduardo da Silva - 7 - Didn't get any service, but was booed whenever he touched the ball by a Wembley crowd that still clearly hold him responsible for the diving drama of two weeks ago. Could have had a penalty from a Johnson foul, but did not claim it. Did good defensive work in the second half to help restrict England, and got some reward late on when hammering home a scrambled goal.
Substitutes
Ivan Rakitic - 7 - Showed his capabilities in his cameo with good runs and fearless intent. Did well to beat Johnson and cross in the ball that eventually produced Croatia's only goal.
Mladen Petric - 6 - Played his part in Croatia's goal, even though his offside position should have ruled it out. It was inconsequential in the end.
Ivan Klasnic - n/a.
Sulmaan Ahmad, Goal.com
For more news on England, visit Goal.com's England section
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