After a week that had become a bit like watching someone spew their guts out for a full 11 days, Team England finally rallied to defeat Slovenia at Port Elizabeth.
A clearly pumped up England, wearing their world cup winning red shirts (cliche number one) looked a different side from previous games, with Milner, Upson and Defoe all starting.
Defoe had been largely, if not completely, anonymous for he first 20 minutes before doing what great strikers do best and popping to score following a delicious cross from Aston Villa's James Milner. England were doing what they do best in the second half, really coming out fighting and with tails clearly up, going for a second, however a combination of the woodwork and some fantastic goalkeeping from Handanovic in the Slovenian goal kept the marauding English forward line at bay.
However Slovenia continued to look dangerous counter attacking on a sand box of a pitch, with England pushing forward in numbers, somewhat unnecessarily in the eyes of this correspondent.....but it wouldn't be England had they not made it nervy. With the back four and Milner all outstanding England hung on though. 1-0. Phew, said a whole nation....after the usual nail biting.
In amongst all that fun and frivolity, the USA, who had put a good shift in during this tournament so far, went through as group winners....in the last seconds against Algeria. Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes group C.....the EASY group, so they say......
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