Football: Outplayed, outwitted, outclassed

England 1 Owen 83 Romania 2 Moldovan 47, Petrescu 90 Att: 37,5

ONE GOAL from a Coventry City striker, another from a Chelsea defender. The globalisation of the English game came back to haunt the national side last night as Romania shattered England's growing conviction that they could match the best.

While they can still qualify from Group G - a point against Colombia in Lens on Friday would be enough - England would then be cast into the daunting half of the draw. Argentina, the Netherlands and Brazil are likely to bar their path to the final.

If, however, they continue to play as they did for an hour last night, such considerations would be academic. Since the Dutch and Brazilian matches would both be staged in Marseilles, the scene of last week's violence, there will be many, both inside and outside the game, hoping that proves to be the case.

It could well be so. While the obituaries written about this Romanian side have clearly been premature England were often outplayed to a degree that was embarrassing. Only when Gheorghe Hagi tired did England come into it, and it was their young men, David Beckham, Paul Scholes and, most of all, Michael Owen who came to the fore. Owen, taking a nation's aspirations on to his slim teenaged shoulders, scored a predator's goal to equalise seven minutes from time. Then, after Romania had regained the lead in injury-time, he almost snatched a second leveller with a rasping 20-yard drive against the post.

It was not enough, as England were let down by their senior men. Tony Adams was unusually hesitant at the back, Teddy Sheringham anonymous in attack and Alan Shearer had one of his quietest internationals.

As Romania's Adrian Ilie had predicted, it was their superior technique which made the difference. England, hampered by an early injury to Paul Ince which forced him off mid-way through the first half, were left chasing the ball. When they did get it, they were unable to hold it.

Romania's first goal, scored after 47 minutes by Viorel Moldovan, showing an instinct for goal not hitherto noted at Highfield Road, was long overdue. The second, after Owen had levelled, almost seemed to suggest that they could raise a gear and score against such a defence whenever required. It came from Dan Petrescu, who outwitted his Chelsea club-mate, Graeme Le Saux, before nutmegging David Seaman. Both, as Glenn Hoddle said later, were "sloppy goals".

Romania's victory was all the more remarkable for being achieved in an atmosphere which was overwhelmingly against them. This was because England were again followed by a staggering travelling support, with around 25,000 fans finding tickets from somewhere. The cosy 35,000-capacity ground looked like a modernised mini-Wembley as, draped with flags from the East Kent Gills to Yarm, Middlesbrough, it rang to the strains of "God Save the Queen" and "Rule Britannia".

The atmosphere was expectant and jovial, as it had been earlier outside the bars of the Place de la Capitole, the chief mustering point. Good- natured bar staff, low-key policing and an apparent determination not to repeat the scenes of Marseilles had all contributed to a encouraging build-up, though it was obvious, with some ticket prices reaching pounds 350 by mid-afternoon, that many fans would be seeking an alternative venue to watch the game as evening fell.

Those who did get into the Stade Municipal saw an even opening. England, who brought Gary Neville in for the injured Gareth Southgate, looked bright in attack and nervous at the back.

As the game ebbed and flowed Darren Anderton shot narrowly over, Scholes failed to take advantage as Shearer pressurised Bogdan Stelea in the air and Hagi flailed an ambitious 40-yard free-kick well wide.

The ageing Romanian maestro also showed he could still play a bit, almost setting up Ilie before Scholes, a playmaker at the opposite end of his career, released Shearer with a sublime pass. A corner, taken by Anderton, followed from which Sheringham volleyed fractionally wide with a variation on an old Tottenham routine.

Gradually Romania took command, passing the ball slickly between themselves and pulling England about. One such move ended with Moldovan finding the unmarked Ilie on the left and the Valencia striker floated a chip over David Seaman and on to the bar. England were in trouble. Off went Ince, on came Beckham, to play in his favoured central midfield role. Fate had offered him the opportunity he craved, but would he take it?

Not really. The early signs were promising: a neat one-two with Le Saux and a lovely take on the run from a Neville pass, but there was not enough happening around him and the game continued to be played to the measured tread of the Romanians, not the higher tempo England prefer. As half-time arrived Glenn Hoddle's reputation for producing better second-half performances was on the line.

Whatever Hoddle had in mind was quickly rendered obsolete as Romania scored two minutes after the restart. It came from a simple throw-in on the right. Hagi, the receiver, dummied Le Saux and, as Campbell came towards him, chipped to Moldovan, who had stolen behind the ball-watching Adams. The finish was unexpectedly clinical.

Romania, with seven veterans from the side that reached the quarter-finals of the last World Cup, were now showing their pedigree and England looked dispirited. They needed a lift and it was the young guns that provided it. On the hour Beckham whipped a free-kick marginally over, then Scholes fizzed a shot into Stelea's midriff. Beckham released Anderton on the right and his low cross-shot flew across the face of the Romanian goal not two yards out. To the despair of the England fans, no one could get a touch.

Almost as a reflex a chant went up: "One Michael Owen". Hoddle eventually responded and when Shearer's cross-shot was held up by Scholes, the 18- year-old was there to score. England were exultant but the brief surge of hope only made the eventual disappointment even harder to bear.

GROUP G

P W D L F A Pts GD

Romania 2 2 0 0 3 1 6 +2

England 2 1 0 1 3 2 3 +1

Colombia 2 1 0 1 1 1 3 0

Tunisia 2 0 0 2 0 3 0 -3

Remaining fixtures: Fri 26 June: Romania v Tunisia (St Denis); Colombia v England (Lens). Both 8pm kick-off.

ENGLAND (3-5-2): Seaman (Arsenal); G Neville (Manchester Utd), Adams (Arsenal), Campbell (Tottenham); Anderton (Tottenham), Ince (Liverpool), Scholes (Manchester Utd), Batty (Newcastle Utd), Le Saux (Chelsea); Sheringham (Manchester Utd), Shearer (Newcastle Utd). Substitutes: Beckham (Manchester Utd) for Ince, 33; Owen (Liverpool) for Sheringham, 73.

ROMANIA (1-2-4-1-2): Stelea (Salamanca); Gheorghe Popescu (Galatasaray); Ciobotariu (National Bucharest), Filipescu (Galatasaray); Petrescu (Chelsea), Galca (Espanyol), Gabriel Popescu (Salamanca), Munteanu (Cologne); Hagi (Galatasaray); Moldovan (Coventry), Ilie (Valencia). Substitutes: Stanga (PSV Eindhoven) for Hagi, 73; Marinescu (Rapid Bucharest) for Stanga, 84; Lacatus (Steaua Bucharest) for Moldovan, 87.

Referee: M Batta (France).