On This Day – 3rd June
England played their last game on this day back in 2006 before jetting off to the World Cup in Germany.
Their opponents were Jamaica and England beat them comfortably 6-0 with charismatic striker Peter Crouch scoring a hat-trick.
Wembley was still almost a year from completion, so the game was played at Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground. fans watched on in glorious sunshine and the England performance was as wonderful as the weather.
Frank Lampard hit the opening goal of the game on 12 minutes with a well-placed volley into the bottom corner of the net.
Jamaica’s Jermaine Taylor headed into his own net five minutes later to double England’s lead. David Beckham had whipped in an in-swinging free-kick from the left wing and Taylor nodded past Donovon Ricketts in the Jamaica goal.
Peter Crouch ran in to get on the end of a Beckham corner after 29 minutes, flicking the ball with the outside of his boot into the bottom corner. Crouch then celebrated by doing his ‘robot dance’ celebration, that had become his trademark the previous season.
Michael Owen broke the Jamaican offside-trap to race through and score England’s fourth in the 32nd minute. Donovon Ricketts ran out of his box and jumped up to try and put Owen off, but the England striker simply nudged it past the goalkeeper and tapped the ball into the open goal!
The England fans had to wait until midway through the second half before they could cheer another England goal. It came from Peter Crouch, who tapped in a Jamie Carragher cross from less than two yards out. Once again the ‘Robot’ was performed by Crouch to an ecstatic Old Trafford crowd.
Michael Owen was brought down in the penalty area after 80 minutes and Crouch was given the opportunity to complete his hat-trick.
The Liverpool striker ran up and casually chipped the ball down the centre of the goal, with Ricketts diving to his right. The ball sailed high over the bar and into the crowd behind the goal in the Stretford End. It was a truly embarrassing moment for Crouch who was way too casual, acting as if it would be too easy to score the penalty.
He made up for it in the 89th minute, side-footing a shot into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the box.
England would reach the Quarter-Finals of the 2006 World Cup before losing to Portugal in a penalty shootout.
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