SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - England beat Platinum Stars 3-0 in warm-up match

Record ID: 456123

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - England beat Platinum Stars 3-0 in warm-up match
  • Date: 9th June 2010
  • Summary: CROWD WOMAN BLOWING VUVUZELAS
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9KYDXSH6DMMC4NWYKPIQE6R5N
  • Story Text: South African fans got their first look at the England squad on Monday (June 7) as the players left their Bafokeng Sports Campus training site and took on the Platinum Stars team near Sun City.
    It was their last match before the World Cup tournament begins.
    The visitors won 3-0 with a Jermain Defoe goal in the first half while Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney scored in the second.
    The warm-up match gave local people and England fans a chance to see a high-level team up close, and was designed to encourage more football participation in the area where platinum mining is the principal industry.
    Established players Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley and Joe Cole, John Terry and Peter Crouch were among the 11 in the first half.
    Wayne Rooney brought out a mostly fresh side in the second half with Emile Heskey, James Milner, Aaron Lennon and Jamie Carragher joining him.
    Platinum Stars, who play in South Africa's Premier soccer league, threw away a good opportunity to equalise when Glen Johnson gave them a penalty. Bradley Grobler of the Stars fired the penalty kick high over the bar to his dismay.
    In the second half England were more dominant with the altitude making them seem tired and hot after the match.
    Rio Ferdinand, whose knee injury on the first day put him out of the tournament, was at the ground on crutches to watch the game with manager Fabio Capello. Former captain David Beckham was also there to watch the game.
    England will play USA at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace stadium on June 12 in the first match of their Group C campaign.
    Coach of the Platinum Stars, Steve Komphela said he would like to sign up all the players, especially Wayne Rooney.
    "You could see him coming in, scoring that third goal, and he makes it difficult for the defenders to mark him. Even if he plays number 10 he goes all over the place, touches the ball, goes wherever you don't expect him he's back in his zone again, so you've got to keep an eye on him," he said after the match.
    Forward Jermain Defoe said that the game had achieved its purpose.
    "I think so yeah, in terms of a winning mentality because we are winning games. Obviously we have still got a few days before the first game and we will work on a few things in training. I am sure we will watch the video of the game today and just try to improve where we done wrong today," he said.
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