CAPE TOWN, South Africa – England delivered one of their worst tournament performances for years when they were held to a goalless draw by Algeria yesterday to leave their World Cup qualification hanging on the final matches. However, a repeat of their ragged, disorganised, error-strewn display in Green Point Stadium is unlikely to be enough to get them past Slovenia and could lead to an embarrassing first-round exit having been given what was widely considered an easy draw
Algeria, who had looked nervous in their opening 1-0 defeat by Slovenia, were good value for their draw and for long spells looked the sharper of the two teams.
Slovenia have four points after their 2-2 draw with the United States, who have two. England also have two points with the north Africans on one.
England’s final game is against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth while Algeria take on the United States in Pretoria, both on June 23.
A dejected-looking England captain Steven Gerrard said there were no excuses and his side needed to improve.
“We know the job we’ve got to go and do, we have got to win the last game which adds more pressure,” he told British TV.
“We weren’t aggressive enough, we never won the ball back early enough, we never had the cutting edge in the final third.”
England coach Fabio Capello hinted at changes for the final crucial game.
“I can change the tactics; I will try to do something different. It won’t be difficult to lift them (the players) before Slovenia. They know what they have to do,” he said.
“We still have to play another game and we hope that will be happier. I don’t know if it’s pressure or we’re not in a good moment. We lost too many balls; it’s not the same team I know.”
Supporters with tickets to those final matches will hope for more entertainment that they got yesterday as poor old Cape Town served up a third successive uninspired draw.
Both teams opted to change their goalkeepers after goal-costing blunders in their opening matches as David James, who turns 40 in six weeks, and Rais Ouheb Mbouli started.
Both were given something of an easy ride in the first half though, as England in particular struggled for cohesion.
Mbouli made one good diving save to keep out a Frank Lampard shot but with Wayne Rooney isolated and the passing poor throughout the team, it was a rare moment of excitement.
Algeria were the crisper passers and had more movement, with Karim Ziani a constant threat on the left. They too, however, struggled to find the killer final pass.
There was little change in the second half with England’s Premier League ambassadors delivering some terrible passing, though they tightened up at the back and gradually began to control the game in terms of possession.
Emile Heskey and Gerrard were both denied by Mbouli while Jermain Defoe came on to add some pace up front but little really changed.
England came into the game looking for a big win that would have given them control of the group and a potentially easier route through the knockout stage but they ended it desperate for even a shot on goal.