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| England’s Frank Lampard (R) scores a penalty past Switzerland’s goalkeeper Diego Benaglio during their Euro 2012 Group G qualifying soccer match at Wembley Stadium in London yesterday. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. (Reuters |
England fought back to snatch a 2-2 draw in their Euro 2012 qualifier with Switzerland here yesterday after two goalkeeping errors from Joe Hart threatened to send Fabio Capello’s side spinning to defeat.
A Frank Lampard penalty and a second-half strike from substitute Ashley Young saved England’s blushes after two first-half goals goals in three minutes from Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta gave Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side a 2-0 lead.
But while England may take a crumb of satisfaction at having gained a draw which leaves them one point clear of rivals Montenegro at the top of Group G, who play Bulgaria later Saturday, Capello will be dismayed by a poor display.
Two bad mistakes by England gifted Switzerland their goals, and in the second half when the home side dominated, Capello’s men were unable to find the winner having clawed the game back to 2-2 after 51 minutes.
Striker Darren Bent prompted howls of disbelief when he missed an open goal from eight yards on 71 minutes out that would almost certainly have sealed a vital three points for England.
Capello had encouraged his players to take holidays following the end of the Premier League season two weeks ago, and in a disastrous three-minute spell midway through the half England looked as if they were still on the beach.
Hart was at fault for both of Barnetta’s goals on 32 and 35 minutes, which both came from free-kicks out on the left.
The first came when Barnetta swung in a hopeful setpiece that eluded everyone in the box and bounced past Hart to make it 1-0.
It got worse three minutes later. This time the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder drilled his setpiece towards the near post, and when England’s two-man wall of Theo Walcott and James Milner parted, Barnetta’s shot squeezed past Hart.
The disgust of England captain John Terry was evident but crucially the home side were able to conjure an immediate response, Jack Wilshere surging into the penalty area only to be brought down by Arsenal team-mate Johan Djourou.
Lampard stepped up to blast in the spot-kick and England had been given a vital lifeline.
With Young replacing Lampard at half-time, Capello had clearly decided England needed more pace in attack and the home side threatened within seconds of the restart, when Walcott burst forward only to be brought down by Djourou.
England appealed for a penalty but referee Damir Skomina was unimpressed.
Yet England did not have long to wait before they were level. Milner clipped a cross to Leighton Baines, on for the injured Ashley Cole, who chested into the path of Young for the Aston Villa striker to drive home.
The momentum clearly with England, it looked only a matter of time before Capello’s men took the lead.
A lovely run and pass from Wilshere released Bent on 65 minutes but the striker took too long to get his shot away and Swiss keeper Diego Benaglio cleared.
Then on 69 minutes Walcott sliced open the Swiss defence and squared for Young, who scooped his shot over the bar.
But the most glaring miss came two minutes later, and Bent was again the culprit.
Young went on a mazy solo run and shot to test Benaglio, whose save fell invitingly into Bent’s path. Yet with an open goal awaiting Bent somehow managed to shoot over the bar.
Germany, Italy stroll as French labour
PARIS: Germany and Italy continued their leisurely stroll towards the Euro 2012 finals with wins which underlined their domination of their groups but France dropped unexpected points by drawing in Belarus.
Three-time winners Germany thanked a Mario Gomez double as they floored neighbouring Austria 2-1 in Vienna and Die Mannschaft now stand seven points clear of Belgium in Group A with a game in hand while the Austrians will have to find alternative entertainment next summer.
In Group C, Italy were all business in swatting Estonia 3-0, Giuseppe Rossi, Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini all on target for the Azzurri.
Italy stayed five points clear of Slovenia, 2-0 winners in the Faroe Islands, with a game in hand, and need only win two of their last four matches to guarantee progress to the finals.
Coach Laurent Blanc was clearly unimpressed as his charges laboured to a 1-1 draw against Belarus in Minsk.
The point still keeps Les Bleus - champions in 1984 and 2000 - four points clear of the eastern Europeans - but they are making heavy weather of their passage.