Guardian and Observer Editorial

6 The Guardian | Wednesday June 21 2006 World Cup C l o¨ g g e r Coach insists Ecuador 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 Miroslav Klose powers past Ecuador’s man who knows the true value of South Americans can recall When England last goalkeeper Cristian Mora 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 Quito, 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 Jens Lehmann 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 Carlos Tenorio, 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 Segundo Castillo. Hurtado is vital Ronnienho central midfielder. 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 Giovanny Espinoza, both of By that time, England were already ing partnership with Edwin Tenorio. 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 Michael Ballack 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 West Germany 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 Torsten Frings 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.

Load more