6 The Guardian | Wednesday June 21 2006 World Cup

C l o¨ g g e r Coach insists must

A sideways glance at the World Cup improve after weaknesses Amarillo Sven are cruelly exposed by hosts The world’s greatest gambler

As I told the FA the last time we sat down to negotiate a contract, I am a powers past Ecuador’s man who knows the true value of South Americans can recall When England last goalkeeper to score his things. I will not sell myself cheaply. five players for Sunday’s played Ecuador second goal of the game in Germany’s The Two Ronnies And as I have shown with Wayne 3–0 victory Yves Herman/Reuters Rooney, I will not risk the safety of crucial clash but repairing anything I respect and enjoy. So I feel confidence may be harder Friendly international Ronniealdo that I am perfectly positioned to offer May 24, 1970 ski. “On the first we failed to clear, on the I’ve got to say, there was a lot going some advice to Ronald Lauder, who Ecuador 0 England 2 second we lost the ball to a childish mis- on but I’m not that satisfied spent £73m on Gustave Klimt’s Adele Jon Brodkin Berlin Lee 4, Kidd 75 take, and the third was a counter-attack Ronnienho Bloch-Bauer the other day, and must , Estadio Olimpico that was down to a lack of attention" was You’re right. Yet again, it was a good now devise a plan to keep the world’s Attendance 36,000 the coach's honest assessment. “All three start but those high standards most expensive painting safe: roll it As Ecuador looked towards a meeting England departed for the World Cup showed different defensive weaknesses." couldn’t be maintained. into a very small tube and conceal the with England it would have been easy for in high spirits after an impressive win Against their toughest opponents yet, Ronniealdo tube inside the goalposts of the new them to dismiss yesterday on the basis in difficult conditions in Quito. It was Ecuador were a shadow of the side that There was no lack of appetite, they Wembley Stadium, then test the that they rested five first-choice players, the team’s final warm-up game scored five times in two games against just didn’t come up with the goods. strength of the goalposts every day by but their coach Luis Suárez chose to be before they headed for the World Poland and Costa Rica and made it to the Ronnienho having Stuart Pearce take a succession blunt. “We certainly must improve a few Cup in Mexico and, despite some second round for the first time. Apart But some of what we saw early on of penalty kicks at them. It’s not logical things if we want to go any further in this early defensive glitches, Sir Alf from forcing into three was irresistable, don’t you think? but I have an instinct. World Cup,” he said. “Everybody played Ramsey was pleased with the saves — two of them comfortable tip-overs Ronniealdo badly. We will have to make huge performance. Four days earlier, — and a few dangerous moments from I do. The loaded potato skin was progress, look into our mistakes and make England had beaten Colombia 4–0 in Luis Valencia, a first-choice winger, they particularly good. sure we don’t repeat them.” Bogotá and the two results prompted posed scant threat. Ronnienho Although it would be an error to read the Guardian’s Albert Barham to England can expect more danger from That’s a mean way to describe Wayne too much into this dreadful Ecuador dis- write: “If these victories send a ripple the rested strikers Agustín Delgado and Rooney, who wasn’t so great. There play with so many regulars missing, Eng- of apprehension through England’s , whose power was missed. was a lack of creativity all-round. land are entitled to wonder what damage opponents in their group, and the Iván Kaviedes is lightweight and failed to Ronniealdo has been done to their opponents’ confi- rest of the finalists too, it is just as it get into the game. So invisible was his I don’t know what Rooney’s got to do dence. Germany were not flattered by 3–0 should be”. strike partner Félix Borja that he was with my dinner but you’re right and might have won more comfortably as Gordon Banks had to be at his best taken off at half-time. about the creativity — imagine Ecuador were opened up with an ease that early on as Penaherrera twice broke Two other key men were missing, the putting prawn cocktail on a Suárez will hope mainly reflected the through the England defence. The centre-back Iván Hurtado and central mid- restaurant menu in this day and age! absence of two regular defenders and one goalkeeper was quick off his line on fielder . Hurtado is vital Ronnienho central . both occasions to make sure the as captain and for his 132 caps, Castillo On that note it’s boa noite de mim. Perhaps that would be a generous Ecuadorian’s angle was cut off and much needed for the energy and simple Ronniealdo assessment, though, when Ulises de la his shots failed to hit the target. distribution he provides in a hard-work- …and it’s boa noite dele. Boa noite! Cruz and , both of By that time, England were already ing partnership with . whom will start in the second round in front. Bobby Moore and Alan Tenorio did play but he and Marlon Ayovi HDTV What they see but you can’t unless injured, were horribly caught out Mullery started the move which led never seriously threatened to get to grips by the clever pass that al- to Francis Lee’s fourth-minute goal. with the impressive Ballack or Torsten lowed Miroslav Klose to put the hosts 2–0 Mullery was England’s star performer Frings. ahead before half-time. in the difficult conditions but Terry De la Cruz, though, had a warning for Having kept clean sheets against Cooper, Geoff Hurst and Brian England. “They will see us as the easiest Poland and Costa Rica, this was a case of Labone also played well. options,” he said. “But let me tell you, we Ecuador being taken to the cleaners by a England struggled to keep will be no pushovers. We proved in the Germany side who were more determined possession against the energetic group that we are capable of winning in and far brighter than them. Jürgen Klins- Ecuadorians but held on and scored the World Cup and I don’t see any reason mann’s team had considerable joy down the decisive goal with 20 minutes why we can’t carry on with another shock the flanks, including on quick breaks, and remaining. Kidd, one of six players against England.” their strength and often high tempo who had been told they would not be The Aston Villa right-back emphasised caused the South Americans problems. At in the World Cup squad that same he expects a “very, very difficult game” the very least this exposed Suárez’s day, met Martin Peter’s centre with a and said Ecuador “would have preferred reliance on his major players and a lack of diving header to win the game. to play the Swedes” but added: “It’s the depth in his squad. Moore and Bobby Charlton played first time we will play against them, so in “We will have to be more aggressive against Ecuador despite being that respect maybe the element of sur- when we try to get the ball, keep posses- accused of stealing a bracelet from a prise could work for us. After all, I will be sion of the ball and if there are many high shop in Bogotá. The day after able to tell my team-mates a lot about balls we will have to win the headers as Ecuador game, Moore was charged them. I have been in the Premiership so well,” he said. “We have to make sure we and placed under house arrest at the long so I will be able to pass on informa- … England turn their hands to international crimefighting … don’t concede an early goal. If we home of a local football official. He tion to the boss and my team-mates.” repeat these mistakes we are going to have was released three days later and De la Cruz’s display confirmed that the same problems and we may face the allowed to travel to the World Cup. defending is not his strong point. He is an same kind of score as we did today if we In Mexico, England qualified from important outlet for Ecuador getting for- Match of the day What Graeme do not watch out . . . We must correct their group but were eliminated by ward and, though he made no impact World Cup dating would have said everything we did wrong and remember in the quarter-finals. here, it was plain his forays leave space what we did right in the first two Ecuador Meija, Utreras, Campoverde, Portilla, Valencia, behind which can be exploited. When matches.” Bolanos, Cardenas, Munoz (Cabezas), Penaherrera, Carrera Suárez described this as “an education” (Rodríguez), Larrea ªEngland will be Suárez was unflinching in his assess- England Banks, Newton, Cooper, Mullery, Labone, Moore, for Ecuador, it was in the hope that the Germany ment of the goals Ecuador conceded, two Lee (Kidd), Ball, Charlton (Sadler), Hurst, Peters lessons will have been learned before they from Klose and another from Lukas Podol- face England. Alex Ferguson delighted that they’ve Man Utd avoided Germany. Grumpy, disloyal Scotsman wltm Except they’re in Group A The opening game coincided with his midfielder with floppy hair and history 28th birthday and he looks like a man Michael Walker Berlin of success in one major international Germany, of course. Podolski and relishing his maturity. However, Klose’s tournament for romance, adventures performance and that of each of his and swift onward transfer. Ability to They’ll be delighted not Ecuador’s vivid kit is the colour of a colleagues has to be seen in the context of cope with widespread tonsorial to have avoided thatº Klose shine deckchair and they collapsed like one here Ecuador’s fine impression of a team satis- mockery, and a rapid demotion from yesterday. Having shown themselves to fied to have already finished second in the first team, essential. Well, it worked Le Saux’s expert view of the host be robust and useful in the first two group group. with Karel Poborsky. Kind of. nation’s success against Ecuador as hosts start matches against Poland and Costa Rica Their priority was clearly the avoidance they were flimsy and pliable against of injuries and yellow cards and the Germany. conservation of energy. When I’m in charge What I did instead to believe The World Cup hosts cruised to their Jürgen Klinsmann was content after- Steve McClaren Jermain Defoe third consecutive victory to win the group wards — he said Germany had “World Cup and now move to on Saturday fever” — but also realistic about the test Ecuador 0 (0) Group A afternoon. Germany broke sweat, but that faced yesterday. “We know this is no I don’t like to say I told you so, I’ve got to admit that I found last was the weather. comparison for what is in store for us,” he but now that Owen’s injured I night a real test. I’ve played in Munich will not be as comfortable an said, “but now the World Cup has really might as well tell you that I some big matches before, and Germany 3 (2) occasion as this but Germany have such started.” would never have selected obviously I’m used to being put Klose 4 44, Podolski 57 confidence and momentum that they will Unrecognisable from the team that beat just three strikers and a under pressure from my time at Referee Valentin Ivanov (Rus) 6 be relaxed about what lies next. When Poland, Ecuador could at least claim kid from Arsenal’s Spurs, but nothing like that. 72,000 slid in to score their eighth yesterday that they were dangerous in the reserves. I told Sven. There were moments when I Mora Possession goal of the tournament in the 57th minute first minute of normal time and the “Sven,” I told him, “England was so jealous I almost couldn’t Guagua 6 Espinoza he became the team’s fourth different second of injury-time. But in between won’t be happy with just a watch. But at the end of the day 4 4 5 4 scorer. Only has scored they offered almost nothing as a forward De la Cruz Ambrosi random kid. They want five I know that even if I’d been on Ayoví E Tenorio % against them. presence. or six random kids, the team I’d have been rubbish 4 4 4 5 Clean sheets and goals breed expecta- In that first minute the midfielder Luis Valencia Méndez including a 15-year-old — University Challenge is way 53% 47% tion. Miroslav Klose got another two to Valencia danced his way around Philipp 4 3 who once played in the too hard for me, though I was Ecuador Germany take his tally to four. In Britain the Werder Lahm, whose defending may not be as Kaviedes Borja Carling Cup for Millwall.” OK at 15 to 1. Podolski Klose 2 Shots on target 8 Bremen player is regarded, to use a Sir good as his attacking. Valencia got to the 6 7 Bobby Robson phrase, as “top class but byline and delivered a good cross which Madrid or Mansfield? Where Sven is heading Schweinsteiger Schneider 4 Shots off target 9 not top, top, top class” but Klose may be Jens Lehmann did well to intercept. It 7 7 6 7 83% Passing 80% causing a reappraisal with his form. offered some promise. Ballack Frings Lahm Freidrich 21 Fouls 20 On Monday he said that since he moved After that, though, Ecuador petered The problem with Sven’s England reign is that he 6 6 6 6 to Bremen he had improved as a player out. Instead of viewing that one move keeps having to face teams like Sweden, where he Huth Mertesacker 5 Corners 2 would be more at home. So from now on he must 6 because of the club’s feet-first style. Four as an example of how Germany might never put himself at risk of travelling to any of Lehmann 0 Offside 3 years ago the forward impressed with his be stretched, the South Americans sat Europe’s major cosmopolitan cities. Or Stockholm. Ecuador substitutes IBenítez h-t, like for like. heading ability but none of his quartet of back and waited for the hosts to bring the NLara 63, like for like. MUrrutia 68, like for like. Germany substitutes IBorowski 66•, like for like goals so far has been scored with his party to them. Which Germany did Madrid Mansfield NNeuville 66, like for like. MAsamoah 72, like for like. forehead. happily and quickly.