Beckham the difference

Beckham the difference
England have secured their place in the World Cup quarter-finals following a laboured 1-0 win over a disappointing Ecuador side.
David Beckham bent the ball over the wall and squeezed England into the World Cup quarterfinals...

In a poor match of few chances, England were thankful to a second-half David Beckham free-kick which ended the stalemate. However, once again Sven Goran Eriksson's team showed nothing to indicate that they were serious contenders to win the competition.
Eriksson opted for a novel 4-5-1 system, which saw Wayne Rooney playing on his own up front, with Michael Carrick drafted into the midfield holding role. The changes improved England's passing, although the paucity of clear cut chances created suggested the new system was not an unqualified success.

England enjoyed the bulk of the early possession but they were unable to test Mora in what was a cagey opening to the game. Ecuador should have taken the lead on 11 minutes when Carlos Tenorio pounced on a terrible header by John Terry. With only Robinson to beat, the striker dwelled long enough to allow Ashley Cole to make a terrific diving challenge which deflected the shot on to the bar. It was a lucky escape for England and a warning that they weren't going to get things all their own way. Lampard brought the first save from Mora, when he fired from the edge of the area after neat interplay from England. However, the chance was a rarity in a game that lacked cohesion and was beset by numerous stoppages caused by both sides committing countless niggly fouls. The heat was undoubtedly a factor in a lacklustre encounter, although the conditions alone couldn't explain the sheer number of misplaced passes. The deadlock was eventually broken when the otherwise anonymous David Beckham produced one of his trademark free-kicks. The curling effort from 25 yards was tipped onto the post by Mora but the ball rolled into the net.
Shortly afterwards, Lampard had a good chance to extend the lead, but he snatched at his shot from the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder was then presented with a wonderful chance moments later when a stray Ecuador pass found him in space, but rather than shoot he tried to find Rooney, only to underhit his pass and allow the Ecuadorian defence to clear the danger.

England were beginning to force the pace but their finally pass was invariably lamentable and when they did carve open the Ecuador defence, Lampard could usually be relied upon to scuff his shot. The Chelsea player's work rate was admirable but his shooting in this tournament has belied his reputation as a fine striker of the ball. Ecuador, with their World Cup hopes hanging by a thread, seemed unable to mount any pressure on the England goal.

Their best chance fell to Valencia who fired wide from the edge of the area, but otherwise the England defence was rarely troubled. England just about deserved their win against a curiously uninspired Paraguay side.

One bonus for Eriksson will have been the performance of Rooney, who not only lasted the full 90 minutes, but also appeared to be regaining his sharpness as the game progressed. If England are to have any chance of living up to their pre-tournament hype, then much will depend on Rooney's renaissance.

Man of the Match: John TERRY (ENG)

Defender John Terry was named the Budweiser Man of the Match after he anchored an England back line that completely smothered Ecuador's forwards on the way to a 1-0 victory.
Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado may be known for his prowess in the air but he did not have an attempt on goal during his 90 minutes on the pitch thanks to the solid work of Terry and fellow England centre-half Rio Ferdinand. In all, Ecuador only managed three shots on goal, none of them truly testing goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
The Chelsea captain, who took the armband from David Beckham when he was substituted, also contributed with his leadership, rallying his team-mates as Ecuador pushed for a late equaliser in the intense heat in Stuttgart.
"He is the Budweiser Man of the Match because he made few errors and had a perfect game in defence," said FIFA Technical Study Group member Alvin Corneal. "He made up for his team-mates' mistakes and he was the one who stopped most of Ecuador's best chances."

In conclusion:

It was a controlled performance from England which took them to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup. Beckham's strike proved enough to settle a game of few chances against an Ecuador team who seldom threatened the opposition goal.

Analysis of Match

It was a game of contrasting styles. Ecuador were prepared to put the ball down and keep possession, making slow but positive penetration.
England were trying to make a positive approach with the long ball, but it was unproductive. In most cases they were dispossessed too easily and Ecuador were well organised but probably more nonchalant in their approach.
The South Americans did not seem to have the aggressive intent that would have got them behind the back of England’s defence. On the other hand, England banked too heavily on Wayne Rooney, who did not have the support going forward.
Because of this, very few opportunities were created. The difference in the game was the David Beckham free-kick and Ecuador's failure to attack with any real conviction.