ENGLAND BEAT SWITZERLAND AS ROONEY BREAKS SIR BOBBY CHARLTON’S RECORD

BY AYODELE ODUMADE AT WEMBLEY STADIUM, LONDON.

England had already qualified comfortably for Euro 2016 in France next year and Roy Hodgson probably thought from now on that all that is left is for him to experiment and try and fine-tune his team for as they comfortably beat Switzerland 2-0.  There will probably be harder tests as they play some prestigious friendlies against the likes of France, Argentina, Germany and Spain.

The game was barely a minute old when Fabian Delph collapse in a heap as he pulled his hamstring and was replaced by Ross Barkley.  In the fifth minute, from an England corner, Gary Cahill headed the ball goal wards but it was saved by Yann Sommer.

Just after the quarter of an hour mark, Wayne Rooney had his first sight of goal and tried to pass the ball across Sommer but it was just wide of the post.  Shortly after, Rooney fed the ball to James Milner in the Swiss box but yet again Sommer was up to it as he saved his shot.

On the hour mark, after some brilliant passing by Switzerland, the ball fell to Xherdan Shaqiri but before he could pounce, Joe Hart raced out of goal and smothered his shot.  Overall the first half was dull and it was goalless. That might be due to the fact that England had already qualified and the intensity was not quite there.

Just after the break, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got to the byline and crossed the ball into the box, which was met by a header by Rooney but Sommer took a step backwards and made a comfortable save.

After the hour mark, Ricardo Rodriguez took a corner, which was headed by Granit Xhaka and Joe Hart had to dive to his right to make a save.  The break through came for England in the 66^th minute.

Wayne Rooney picked up the ball on the edge of the Swiss area to Luke Shaw who fizzed a cross from the right to the left where Harry Kane was waiting and hit a low shot past Sommer to give England the lead.  That was Kane’s third goal in as many games for England.

With Six minutes to go and with some of the England fans already leaving the ground, the moment most had been waiting for arrived. Raheem Sterling was brought down in the 18-yard box and there was only ever going to be one man to take the penalty awarded by the referee Gianluca Rocchi.  Up stepped Rooney and he blasted it into the roof of the net to score his 50^th goal for England and break Sir Bobby Charlton’s record in the process.  Some critics have tried to play down his achievement but they forget that some players who cut it in the Premier League could not quite cut it at international level.

England fans must be praying that Rooney has at least one big tournament left in him in which he can make a big impact like he did as a teenager at Euro 2004.  The problem though is that he is not the only one who has not turned up for major tournaments for England. 

England generally do well in qualifiers.  They often fluff their lines when it comes to the tournaments.  Can they change things next year?  For now though Wayne Rooney is the toast and pride of England.  Hodgson said: ” I am delighted first and foremost for Wayne Rooney scoring his 50^th goal. I am please about his courage to blast the penalty in the roof of the net.  Secondly I am happy we won the game. I am also happy for Harry Kane.  That was his third goal in three appearances for England.  In the first half we were nowhere where we need to be. I don’t think this (Rooney’s) achievement will debase Sir Bobby Charlton’s achievement.”