England won't have the opportunity to prove they're the best team in Europe this summer, but they convincingly showed they're better than the top team in CONCACAF in a 2-0 whipping of the U.S. at Wembley Wednesday night. John Terry and Steven Gerrard netted the goals for England.
There was one notable absence among the regular starters- U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan, who was a late scratch due to a tight groin. (No word if Donovan's wife, actress Bianca Kajlich, was responsible for the groin injury.) While Donovan was denied the opportunity to earn his 100th cap, his injury was hardly the Americans' biggest problem. England's speed was too much for U.S. defenders to handle, a weakness that will likely be exploited by Spain's Fernando Torres and Argentina's Lionel Messi in the days ahead.
England also displayed technical superiority on set pieces. A vintage Beckham free kick in the 38th minute found Terry's head in the box for the first English tally. The goal won't erase Terry's painful memories of the Champions League Final, but it could help him tighten his grip on the captian's armband that he wore today,
The U.S. now heads to Santander for a June 4 friendly against Spain. They'll need to show a lot more offensive urgency to avoid a similar result.
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