skip to content

  • Kick-off: 19:00
  • Venue: Olympic Stadium, Barcelona
  • Attendance: 17500
  • Referee: Cakir, C

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL-TIME: ANDORRA 0-2 ENGLAND

90mins

England have steadily improved on a first half in which they were short of attacking ideas. It has been a more workmanlike than eye-catching performance

90mins

Andorra send on Marc Vales for Pujol in a late change - there's just two minutes of stoppage time remaining

88mins

Beckham is seeing plenty of the ball in his central midfield role as the minutes tick away on an improving England display, but one that has failed to scale any real heights

86mins

The England fans inside the stadium seem pretty content with the second-half display as they get behind the side they booed off at half-time

84mins

England are knocking loudly on the door and a third goal could well be in the pipeline before this game is over

83mins

Rooney earns a yard of space in the box with a neat flick but his far post lob is just too far ahead of Heskey to reach

82mins

Ashley Cole's early cross is behind Heskey who had pulled into space and that's a waste from the hard-working full-back

80mins

David Beckham comes on in a third and final change for England with Lampard making way

79mins

Heskey reaches the byline and cuts the ball back looking for Joe Cole but the defence just about clear the danger for a corner

78mins

Fabio Capello is still furious with his players who seem intent on looking for ambitious passes rather than retaining possession

77mins

It's keep-ball time again now but there's still a real lack of ideas in the final third with England looking to force play down the middle of the pitch

75mins

Andorra have pulled all ten men back behind the ball now and England are struggling to force a way through a tightly packed defence

73mins

Terry is inches away from meeting Lampard's driven free-kick inside the box - even the slightest of goalward touches would surely have resulted in a third there

71mins

England are playing keep ball now as they spray it around confidently but a 2-0 scoreline will hardly silence their detractors

69mins

Rooney wins the ball with a trademark committed tackle in midfield but again the Manchester United forward has struggled to impose himself on the opposition in the final third

67mins

Andorra are there for the taking now as their early high energy approach has given way to a more lethargic display

65mins

His game is indeed over as Juan Carlos Toscano comes into the fray

64mins

Silva walks off with the physio after landing awkwardly and may need to be replaced

64mins

Rooney almost picks out Heskey with a driven cross but it's slightly too strong for the Wigan striker and drifts out for a goal-kick

62mins

Johnson rifles a shot from the edge of the box into the far corner but Joe Cole's nonchalant flick when clearly offside means the effort is rightly ruled out

61mins

Walcott reaches the byline but his driven cross is prevented from reaching Rooney by two committed defenders

60mins

Fabio Capello is barking out the orders from the technical area - he for one isn't settling for this scoreline

58mins

Johnson drills a bouncing shot straight at the keeper who almost spills the ball but recovers in time with Rooney preparing to pounce

56mins

Antoni Lima goes into the book for dissent

55mins

ANDORRA 0-2 ENGLAND: JOE COLE does it again as he latches onto Rooney's superbly disguised pass to stab the ball under the advancing keeper from 12 yards

53mins

Terry finds the side-netting with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area which the keeper had covered

52mins

Marcio Vieira is booked for a crude tackle on Lampard with both players contesting a 50/50 ball

51mins

Ashley Cole pops up in space in the box but his driven cross flies untouched through the six-yard box - the England fans are back behind their side now though!

49mins

ANDORRA 0-1 ENGLAND: Lescott flicks on a Lampard free-kick and JOE COLE crashes home an unstoppable volley from close range to ease the pressure on his side

48mins

Fernando Silva is booked for a late lunge on Johnson

48mins

Barry steals the ball off Marc Pujol in midfield but concedes a cheap foul when he could have set up his forwards with a simple through ball

46mins

An unhappy Capello sent his side out early for the second period having replaced Downing and Defoe with Joe Cole and Emile Heskey

46mins

Andorra kick-off the second half having held their more illustrious opponents to a goalless stalemate in the opening 45 minutes

45mins

HALF-TIME: ANDORRA 0-0 ENGLAND

45mins

The half-time whistle blows and the boos and jeers ring round the stadium as England ran out of attacking ideas after 20 minutes!

45mins

One minute will be added to a half that England have dominated but during which have looked virtually clueless in the final third

44mins

Rooney's high ball is headed down in the box by Downing towards Lampard but he can't find enough space to squeeze out a shot

42mins

Rooney stands up a decent cross looking for Defoe but he can't quite make contact on the penalty spot - that's better from England though

41mins

Downing switches onto his right foot but the result is the same - another woefully over-hit cross which the keeper claims above the heads of the diminutive Defoe and Rooney

40mins

Fabio Capello is certainly an agitated figure on the England bench and it's no surprise with his side lacking any sort of invention in the final third

38mins

This time Downing launches a cross straight out for a goal-kick and the fans are really getting on the England players' backs now - the last 15 minutes have been really poor!

37mins

Downing again fails to find his target with a simple pass and the Middlesbrough winger is hardly furthering his cause for a regular start here tonight!

35mins

Lescott meets a deep corner on the back post with a nod down but Barry can't get a clean strike on the ball from 12 yards and a gilt-edged chance is passed up

34mins

The boos are beginning to become audible inside the Olympic Stadium and it's reminiscent of the last time England were here and they were goalless at the interval before winning 3-0

33mins

Andorra make a brief foray into England territory but David James remains a complete spectator

31mins

Johnson finds the roof of the net more by luck than judgement as he over-hits an early cross from the right flank

29mins

Downing sends over another poor cross which again reaches Defoe who lashes a difficult chance from 18 yards high, wide and not so handsome!

28mins

England look worryingly short of ideas in the final third and the mood among the travelling fans is slowly beginning to turn to negativity

26mins

A poor Downing free-kick somehow finds Defoe in the box but he can't dig it out from in a ruck of players and Andorra hoof it clear

25mins

Cole slings over an aimless cross from the left which bounces straight out of play and again Capello looks less than impressed with the final ball from his side

23mins

Walcott stays down after a blatant barge from his marker which the referee didn't see. He's okay to continue though after being dragged to his feet by Rooney

22mins

Lampard makes space for a shot on the edge of the penalty area but his bouncing effort drifts just the wrong side of the upright - that's as close as England have come so far tonight

21mins

Walcott goes on another darting run down the right but over-hits his early cross looking for Rooney and a good chance goes begging - that was poor from the Arsenal man

19mins

England are totally dominating here but at the moment just can't find the keys to unlock this well-packed defence

17mins

Walcott tees up Rooney with a delightful touch from Frank Lampard's long pass but the ball drops to his less favoured left foot and ends up with a high and wide shot

16mins

Antoni Lima stays down after heading away a corner and the Andorra players are angry at John Terry's aerial challenge - the referee doesn't seem too concerned though

15mins

Gareth Barry does the same thing looking for Rooney and England already seem to be running out of patience

14mins

Ashley Cole over-hits an ambitious ball looking for the run of Downing and an animated Capello gesticulates furiously in the technical area - the Italian didn't like that waste of possession!

12mins

Walcott cuts the ball back into the six-yard box but two blue-shirted defenders just about prevent the ball from reaching Rooney who was waiting to pull the trigger

10mins

Rooney gives away a cheap free-kick in midfield and he will be desperate to impress after recent below-par England displays

9mins

Walcott dances past a couple of defenders on the touchline and one gets the impression that he could really make an international name for himself here tonight

7mins

Johnson lashes an attempt from 20 yards narrowly wide via a deflection - this has been a good start from Fabio Capello's under pressure side

6mins

Play is condensed in the Andorra half with the 'home' side happy to sit back and soak up the England pressure

5mins

Andorra are certainly making their presence felt with a string of rough challenges in these opening moments. England will have to keep their cool here in balmy Barcelona tonight

3mins

Walcott flicks a chance from a tight angle over the bar after a Wayne Rooney flick on - he might have picked out a team-mate there

2mins

Jesus Luis Koldo Alvarez takes an early blow to the head after diving in to prevent Jermain Defoe from reaching a Glen Johnson cut back

1mins

England get this game underway inside a stadium that is virtually empty except for a few pockets of travelling fans

0mins

Joleon Lescott will start alongside captain John Terry at the heart of the defence after Rio Ferdinand was ruled out with a back injury

0mins

Without several regular players due to injury and perhaps with half an eye on next Wednesday’s much tougher trip to Croatia, Capello has handed starts to Theo Walcott and Stewart Downing

0mins

The Italian coach’s honeymoon period is well and truly over after a string of lacklustre performances in friendlies and England expects a handsome win here in Barcelona tonight against the Group Six whipping boys

0mins

Fabio Capello’s reign as England manager begins in earnest tonight with his first competitive match against Andorra in a World Cup qualifier

advertisement