England vs. USA instant analysis

Kickoff: The US get us going. Wow, this is intense. Slightly less intense having been for an ad break between the anthems and kickoff, but still, heart's a-flutter and all that. "It's going to be a long sad day for you as England takes another step towards becoming a second-tier football team," says Scott Greenwald, just about resisting the temptation to shout "Boom!" and make that clicking noise by violently flicking his hand (I've never managed it without dislocating my little finger).

The game started at tempo but was slowed by a member of the crowd holding onto the ball before a throw-in. Both sides look like they're desperate to create the first chance, just for the psychological boost.

England 1-0

Steven Gerrard has scored for England! Lampard - Rooney - Heskey (of all people) feeds Gerrard on the edge of the area, who controls and spins away from the trailing Ricardo Clark and shoots underneath Howard.

Well now I feel awkward. Clark can shoulder the blame for losing Gerrard in the first place, but it still leaves the US with a fair bit to do. They've had the ball for the last couple of minutes, though, and Findley can beat Johnson if he stays onside.

"Regarding Emile Heskey," says eocine, "it seems that Fabio really did know..." I said pre-game that he needed to set up at least one goal today to justify his selection, and he's done it.

Donovan's deflected a Lampard free-kick out for a corner, but Johnson receives it with his right hand and the ref blows. On the subject of Donovan, he doesn't look too scared of Cole. The U.S. definitely looks capable of doing something down the flanks.

Findley charges down the right and it takes a well-timed lunge from Gerrard to stop him. Gooch heads the corner over though. "If it wasn't for the Beatles and JK Rowling you Limeys would be even more of a third world country than you are now," says AJ Grey, with some relish.

Hairy moment for England, Cherundolo unmarked on the edge of the area and his square ball only just evades the tips of Dempsey's toes. It'll take some major heroics if the US are not to score tonight.

 “I'm not sure which is worse from a Yank's point of view: not gaining any points from the match or hearing the English fans boast,” says Bill Hollister. “According to the British press the game is a foregone conclusion with the only question being the score.” You have a point, Bill, but to be honest, most reasonable people over here in England (i.e. not the people likely to attract broadcasters’ attention) are actually quite nervous about getting shown up in this game. Yes there’s an arrogance in even using the phrase ‘shown up,’ but there’s a genuine feeling that England’s favorites tag is going to look stupid in a couple of hours’ time. Cherundolo has found a few opportunities to try and feed Donovan, and if he gets a long one right, Cole could be in trouble.

That was CLOSE. Donovan's cross sailed right onto Altidore's forehead, but the ball just kind of drops off it rather than pinging beyond Green.

Lennon finds himself free with the ball in the area, and tries to square it but the ball is cut out. He could probably have taken the shot himself. This is a thoroughly enjoyable*, open match at the moment.

*I make no guarantees on that side of the Atlantic.

"I'll bet you one Cornish pasty on the match," Isaac Rocha said, before the game. "USA! USA!" Hmm, I like mine with chunky chips (fries) and baked beans please. Having said that, Cherundolo has been impressive on the right, and only a lax touch prevents him rounding Milner.

Altidore very nearly threaded the ball through to Findley; it certainly seems to me that the U.S. is playing the ball around the midfield better. England has hoiked the ball up into dangerous areas too, mind you, and Lennon has to be dispossessed on the edge of the area by Bocanegra.

Booking for Milner, who's having a torrid time with Cherundolo.

Just as I utter the words "I don't think England will keep a clean sheet tonight", Gooch flicks on a free-kick and the ball skims not too far wide of Green's far post.

England have just enjoyed their first sustained moment of pressure, culminating in a low cross from Johnson which Heskey misses -- but he slams right into Howard. He is in quite some pain.

Now here's an interesting thing: Milner has been substituted for Shawn Wright-Phillips. I think Capello must be reading this.

Game still held up for Howard's injury. "That's all we need," huffs Jason Parker. "Another great job of Heskey taking someone out." He's on his feet now, fear ye not.

Wright-Phillips has gone to the left wing, with Lennon staying on the right, though I suspect Lennon might end up there in the second half, he's generally better at cutting in on the wrong foot. Altidore's just cracked a shot from distance, but Green watched it all the way. Cherundolo must be feeling tip-top having forced an early tactical substitution.

"USA! USA! USA!" shrieks C3_LeBlanc, after my Twitter call for your thoughts. "I'm from Canada." Cheeky. This is not a crowd that needs winding up; Howard still looks in some discomfort.

Findley's running is good but he needs to get his head up and get the final ball off. At the moment he's running into the defense and falling over.

England have eased into the game a little better since Wright-Phillips has come on, he's combined nicely with Ashley Cole. At the moment, the USA confidence-o-meter (patent pending) seems to be registering anything between "Hell yeah" and "Negative."

Donovan ought to have had better options than to shoot from 25 yards, but in the end it was actually quite close. Yellow card for Cherundolo for taking out Wright-Phillips.

USA 1-1

Dempsey's scored a goal that will haunt Robert Green for the rest of his life. The rest of anyone who knows him's life.

The goal: I still don't quite understand how Green spilled that. Dempsey is 25 yards out, spins and tries one that's neither pacy nor off the ground. Green looks to have got his body behind it, but he somehow lets it bounce over the line. Game on, as I believe they say.

Game's paused as Heskey's out on the deck after getting clattered. Before that goalkeeping horror show -- HORROR! I tells ye -- Mike Murray from Long Island had emailed me to say that the US was playing well enough to get back into the game. 'Ping' goes my inbox. "See".

Halftime's looming like an uncovered man-hole for Rob Green, and we have three added minutes and an England corner. Pah, they're all over the shop.

HALFTIME

That's halftime folks. The U.S. have got their peckers up thanks to That Goal, so let's spend halftime talking about how utterly shocking a goalkeeper Rob Green is. It's only fair.

Halftime fun and games (until Rob Green cries)

"Seriously, do the lions have a keeper that would make an MLS squad?" asks brandmelband. Hart is a long, long way better than Hart, but it's probably a fair cop. "Get us Yanks Robert Green's address so we can send him a gift in return," insists Tony White. "Burning him in effigy is a good stress relief, is it not?" ponders Ethan Calof, possibly getting a bit carried away. Why go to the bother of knocking up an effigy? My inbox is ringing like a fruit machine.

"I want to see more from Rooney," says Cesar Boc. To be honest, I'd forgotten he was even on the pitch. "Someone needs to step up their game in midfield". True that - England has been completely overrun in midfield at times, and they need to work the ball forward more because Gooch is uncomfortable marking Heskey or Rooney (if the ref was looking out for shirt pulls and rugby tackles, he'd be in trouble).

Apparently the last couple of times the U.S. was 1-1 at half-time in a World Cup match -- v Switzerland 1994, Italy 2006 -- the game ended 1-1. I fancy another goal to be scored, probably on the counter attack, but as for which side'll score it, I'm saying nothing. This really could go either way.

Jamie Carragher's come on in place of Ledley King, which everyone in England is taking as a sign of King's knee being knacked.

Mike in (or on?) Long Island is back: "What I'd like to see Bob Bradley do is insert Edson Buddle. I realize that the MLS is not on par with the EPL, but Buddle has played well for the Galaxy and the USMNT leading up to the Cup tournament. Team USA needs to attack." For now, DeMerit's been booked for deliberate handball.

Genuinely, everyone on my street just went 'Oooh-ah!'. Lennon raced to the line and cut the ball back across the area, evading every dark blue U.S. shirt but also every white shirt.

"How about the loser pay for the oil spill?" suggests Andrew Donaldson. "Since it is British Petroleum and the US Gulf." We're disowning BP in the same that Andrew Murray becomes Scottish rather than British when he loses.

Haha, the real Emile Heskey's back in town. He's supplied down the central channel, without a defender to really worry about, and shapes his shot straight down Howard's throat.

Cherundolo is having a good game; for the first time in ages England actually manage to work the ball up the field (rather than hoofing a long ball), but the Hannover 96 man steps in and halts Wright-Phillips with ease. England desperately need someone with the bite of Gareth Barry or Scott Parker in midfield.

"For such a nation of superstars, you can't find a second forward other than Heskey?" asks Jason Parker, preaching to the rabidly converted. Heskey makes Greece look like Barcelona.

Scrappy exchanges in the last few minutes, and Carragher's been booked for hacking Findley down in just the way everyone in England imagined when they saw the fourth official wafting the Liverpool defender's number on the board.

At the hour stage, I still wouldn't like to call this game, probably because it's tempting to think the US will get three points. "I say the tie holds up", says Art Garcia. "17-76" guffaws Adolph Rupp. Bocanegra heads a free kick well wide, so we might not hit such heights in the next 29 minutes.

Lampard sells Bradley a dummy and has space to shoot with his left... Howard tips the ball over the bar... corner goes deep to Johnson... he lashes he shot wide of the near post. For a brief second there I escaped bleak depression.

It's back. Altidore absolutely skinned Carragher, who couldn't tackle back as Altidore steamed into the area having just been booked, and Green pushes the shot onto the woodwork. Eesh.

I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times anybody's had cause to use Rooney's name, but it's really the fault of the England midfield. The U.S. doesn't look desperate for a second goal, and the middle of the park is congested. No excuse for that wild free kick from Lampard, mind.

Cherundolo is giving a lesson in defending tonight -- he's just kept Rooney out when you fancied he might turn it on. The Gerrard's cross is too high for the Manchester United striker to reach, despite a lung-busting effort. Is Peter Crouch warming up?

"I say the U.S. will score one more," says Brian in Augusta. "2-1 final score. Rooney goes home and gets lynched." Findley was almost through then, but Carragher brought him to a standstill in his usual robust fashion. That's a foul, to you and I, but the ref can't be bothered with more cards. Findley's now been booked for steaming into Gerrard's ankle, studs up.

Rooney's just shot, out of nowhere, and it wasn't far off -- Howard dived to his left in a panic. Ach! Then he fed SWP, who sidefoots his shot straight at Howard.

Rooney gets two cracks at a Lampard corner but can't find a way past Howard. England are definitely having the better of the match now. Sorry for doubting you, Wayne.

Another Gerrard cross goes begging -- DeMerit got the top of his head to it just before it collides with Heskey's. Buddle comes on for Findley. Is Bradley protecting the booked player or going for the winner?

Heskey off, Crouch on. At least Gerrard's crosses might find someone now ...

Crouch's first touch is indeed a header, but it just boinks off his head and harmlessly up into the air. Ooh, Gerrard got mugged by Buddle then, and the U.S. is on the ball. Altidore's offside though. No really, he was.

There's a wave of "USA! USA!" breaking above the din of the vuvuzelas, which stops as England break with three on one, and rises again when that's halted. England looks the more likely to score a second goal if anyone's going to, but Buddle and Altidore are more than capable of scaring the English defense, given the chance.

Rooney's worked his way to forefront of England's efforts since I suggested he'd not done much, and earns a free kick just beyond the halfway line. We'll have to wait for Stuart Holden to replace Altidore before it's taken.

... and Crouch heads it way beyond the far post and Lennon's scurrying legs.

"I think we can say that the rust is officially off Onyewu," thinks and says Eric Peterson. He didn't have a great first half, but he's looked solid in this second one. The cameras are showing irate England fans in the crowd.

Donovan, Bradley and then Holden on the right combine to put the ball into the danger area, and Cole is forced to put it out for a corner. Four added minutes ...

Shots: England 18-12 USA, apparently.

I'm struggling to remember 12 shots from the US, who've looked happy with the draw for much of the second half. I can't rustle up 18 for England, either though. Those stats make it sound like a different match.

FULLTIME

That's it, the final whistle's gone as Bradley was attempting to get Herculez Gomez on for Dempsey. A point for both to start with, then.

So, what do we make of a draw to get a World Cup campaign underway? It's not the end of the world, and plenty of teams have won the thing without wowing anybody in the opening stages (including England in 1966). But the U.S. looked a little too happy with the draw in the second half -- there were some disappointed faces at the final whistle, but England had too much of the play for the U.S. to have made a serious push at the win rather than hoping for a lucky break.

England pushed harder, created more half-chances but its inability to break down the U.S. defense will pose questions for Fabio Capello. As Jason Parker's just gleefully emailed to me, "Our draw is your loss." Next week's games will be even more interesting -- and the Slovenians will be rubbing their hands at the chance to take the initiative in Group C.