LIVE: ENGLAND-URUGUAY (First Half)

PRE-GAME

New kits: forgive me, but I could give a toss.

The black armbands? For Bestie? The Queen Mum? Jonathan Woodgate?

Uruguay has some injuries, apparently, but I don’t know enough about their squad other than the many laughs I’ve had at Diego Forlan’s expense.

Not Peter Osgood! Shite….

And Ron Greenwood, of course.

But are those two the reasons for the armbands?

This prat hasn’t said.

AND TO KICKOFF

0:30 — Robinson make a bit of a mess of his first touch in the box, but little danger

3:50 — nice little trick by Rio, to no end

4:00 — first trip up the right side almost turns out well — nice ball from Beckham

5:20 — Neville gets nutmegged and embarrassed

5:50 — Bent seems to be the favored target for passes from the wings

Uruguay a nice choice for a friendly before the Cup — a lively side that overlaps and knows how to keep possession and a firm back line

8:50 — I like how Cole took his time and set up a solid shot

10:35 — I wonder how that cough-up makes Rio’s head feel? “Mental aberration” my ass….

12:00 — Michael Carrick won’t be cheated!

13:45 — “Six caps”? We’re getting 6 caps in Germany?

15:00 — Another long ball given straight away

18;40 — Gary Neville looks just like Phil Daniels from “Quadrophenia,” eh?

19:00 — another give-away. we don’t seem to have too many bright ideas so far

20:07 — and again –

20:30 — Cole’s shot, nicely deflected, is set up by Rooney’s run down the left side — which should tell the lads something about what works

22:20 — Beckham freed up for a tough chance by a lovely ball from (was it Joe Cole?) — tough shot to finish

24:01 — Cole defends better on his ass than Rio has on his feet

GOOOOOOAL URUGUAY — A one-touch scorcher into the top right corner!!! A brilliant shot. Let’s see if it wakes the lions.

27:00 — Beckham-to-Terry could be lethal

27:30 — Bridge takes a nasty fall — lad’s been injury-prone….

On replay, that was an AMAZING goal — and the second time in a week that a Terry defensive header has given a goal to the opposition.

Now Bridge is carried off. This could show how thin England’s back line is….

Carragher is on — and, frankly, I think he’s a solid choice to start at either wing in the back in future

Oi! Croatia-Argentina was 2-1 after 7 minutes!

33:40 — Rooney is pressing, I think, and could wind up booked. But he’s playing with real spirit, too.

34:50 — Again it comes to Rooney’s feet and he (correctly, I’d say) pushes forward

35:30 — Nice move from J. Cole

36:05 — great through ball to Roony from the back — but nothing comes of it

37:20 — After Gerrard recovers form a mistake, Beckham makes a nice job of bouncing on a loose ball for a cross

38:00 — They love them some Neville in Liverpool, don’t they?

38:20 — JOHN TERRY!!!! How’s that for contained and yet mobile! That would have been an EPIC goal…

39:50 — nice feed from Gerrard to beckham on the left

41:20 — Bent makes a nice, acrobatic sweep at the ball but can’t control it toward the goal

42:50 — Bent hasn’t done very much but he’s drawn a lot of attention

43: 10 — Sloppy tackle from Beckham gets carded; didn’t think there was any intent, but he clipped the fellow above the heels and can’t expect to be let off for that

44:50 — Rooney creates corner number 7 — this time from the left — and Gerard sends his shot to the moon

46:00 — That’s the second time this guy has spoken about Beckham retiring….

46:40 — Fine series of passes between Beckham, Cole and Neville, but the cross is blunted by the keeper

Bridge has damaged his ankle

47:40 — Bent steals one from the keeper