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England's opening World Cup group C encounter against the USA finished 1-1 after a cut and thrust encounter inside the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Steven Gerrard opened the scoring after less than five minutes with a neat finish but a goalkeeping howler from Robert Green ensured the United States took a point away from the tie.
After endless speculation and hours of conjecture, England manager Fabio Capello's starting line-up and formation was revealed: A standard 4-4-2 formation with Robert Green getting the nod ahead of David James and Joe Hart in goal.
In defence, Ledley King got the faith of the manager to fill the injured Rio Ferdinand's boots, the Spurs stopper partnered John Terry, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson in a familiar back-four. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were selected in centre midfield, with James Milner the choice on the left and Aaron Lennon on the right. Emile Heskey partnered Wayne Rooney up front.

The United States opted for a familiar line-up. Jozy Altidore would fulfil striker's duties, with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey providing support from the right and left wings respectively.
The game started in high tempo with England putting the USA under pressure immediately. The much maligned Emile Heskey proved a good early outlet for the Three Lions and his link-up play kept the United States back-four occupied.

Less than five minutes on the clock and the positive start from Capello's men was to pay off.

A ball up to Wayne Rooney was mis-controlled by the Manchester United talisman but Heskey was there to pick up the loose ball. The targetman showed good vision to spot Gerrard breaking into the box and his reverse path was straight into his captain's path. The skipper fought off the attentions of defender DeMerit and slid the ball neatly past a despairing Tim Howard to give the Three Lions a dream start.

The Americans were shocked but, to their credit, after conceding they got their foot on the ball and started to create chances for themselves.

A spell of possession from them saw a corner awarded, and Oguchi Onyewu perhaps could have done better when he connected in the box from the set-piece, but his header flew high and wide over the goal.

Not long after and the USA had an even better chance. England weren't proficient with their ball retention and this allowed dangerman Landon Donovan to drift down the left channel to deliver a dangerous ball across the six-yard box.

Altidore seemed to arrive fractionally too late to connect though and a gilt-edged chance for the Americans went begging.

There was a real cut and thrust to the game at this point and straight down the other end England hit their opponents on the counter. A direct ball up to Rooney was controlled superbly and the striker dinked an excellent ball over the USA back-line to release Aaron Lennon down the right flank.

The speedy winger put on the burners and charged towards the by-line. Rooney and Heskey were waiting in the middle for the cross but excellent defending by DeMerit stopped a dangerous ball from reaching its target and the USA were saved.

Milner, who had received a booking early in the game, was then brought off for Shaun Wright-Phillips in a tactical shift by Capello.

The USA were giving as good as they got though and good link-up play between Donovan and Findley saw them fashion a half-chance soon after, Donovan's curling drive on the edge of the box had the keeper scrambling, but the shot was just wide.

After that and the English goalkeeper was involved again - in an incident that he will soon want to forget.

A calamitous error from Green let the USA back into the game. A speculative shot from Dempsey should have been dealt with easily but the keeper let the ball slip from his clutches and roll over the goalline.

A disaster for a team that has had to deal with high-profile goalkeeping errors in the recent past, England manager Capello looked aghast from the sidelines.

His squad had little time to recover from the blow of conceding as the half-time whistle was blown shortly after.



Error of judgement | Three Lions suffer another keeper howler

The second period and England again started on the front foot.

Lennon in particular was impressive and the diminutive winger set up two great chances that should have been converted.

The first saw the winger display his dangerous pace. A darting run saw him go around the outside of Bocanegra and cut promisingly into the box. A delicious ball was slid across the goalmouth but both Rooney and Heskey failed to connect with it when all it needed was a touch to send it past Howard. Donovan collected it instead and cleared from danger.

Next and not long after, Lennon sent Heskey through with a great ball that let the big striker through on goal. The Aston Villa targetman is not exactly known for his finishing and this showed, his drive was straight at Howard who managed to catch his shot in his chest.

England were building pressure but the USA had their moments of danger. A clumsy challenge by Gerrard to the right of England's goal could have been punished when the referee awarded the foul. However, Donovan's curling delivery was headed wide by Onyewu.

The game was becoming stretched now and their was more space for both sides. Lampard was allowed to drift into a dangerous area in front of the box and the midfielder unleashed a fierce drive that Howard had to beat over his goal.

It was back and forth and Green went some way to making up for his howler in the first half when he produced an excellent save to deny Dempsey, the goalkeeper managed to push the ball wide of goal.

But it was the Three Lions who were really starting to knock on the door for the next goal. Wright-Phillips was enjoying more space down the right now and a cleverly disguised pass from Rooney allowed the winger to test Howard with a shot at a tight angle, the keeper doing well to beat it away.

There was more pressure from England then and it kept coming. A delightful cross from Gerrard then set up Heskey, but with the goalmouth begging, the striker headed over the bar from close range.

Crouch was then brought on as Capello went for the three points.

It was all England now as the USA looked visibly tired. A great counter-attacking move involving Lampard, Rooney and Lennon had the fans' heart in their mouths but as the final pass was played back across goal, Lampard couldn't make the connection after some great defending by DeMeritt.

It wasn't to be though and despite all England's pressure, the USA defended resolutely and held out for the point.

England boss Fabio Capello has revealed his squad numbers for the World Cup in South Africa, with Joe Cole, David James and Peter Crouch in his first 11.
James has been given the number one jersey, while Crouch is handed the number nine shirt ahead of Aston Villa striker Emile Heskey.
Cole gets the number 11 jersey and now may have a chance of starting against the United States on 12 June.
As expected, Spurs winger Aaron Lennon will wear the number seven.
Holding midfielder Gareth Barry, an almost certain starter before suffering an ankle injury on 5 May, has been given the number 14 shirt. It remains to be seen whether he recovers full fitness in time for Capello to play him in the opening match.

606: DEBATE
Who would be in your England side for the first game against the United States on 12 June?
If not, the squad numbers suggest Joe Cole will play on the left of midfield, with Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard reunited again in the centre.
Robert Green's excellent display against Mexico last week saw many observers tip him to be England's first-choice goalkeeper at the tournament but Capello has chosen to give the West Ham keeper number 12, with Joe Hart wearing 23.
The Italian has preferred Heskey up front throughout most of England's successful qualifying campaign, with Wayne Rooney also admitting he enjoys playing with the burly Aston Villa striker.
But Crouch has been given the prized number nine shirt - worn by the likes of Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer in previous World Cups - and now appears to be the favourite to start against the States.
The squad numbers do not confirm which players are first-choice, but they are usually a good barometer of who is likely to play in the opening match - barring injuries.
"No one's safe," said captain Ferdinand. "The manager isn't scared to leave out people with big reputations if he feels they won't have a positive impact on the squad.

Goalkeeper James now looks in pole position to start in England's first match
"Reputations may have got in the way in the past, but it is difficult being the England manager. You have to be experienced and have a strong character to deal with the pressure, and he [Capello] deals with everything in the right way.
"It's impossible to second-guess the manager, to know what he is thinking. There's no room for complacency, perhaps that's a better way of putting it. You can't say to yourself, 'If I have two or three bad games, I'm still going to play', which was the attitude of some in the past."
Gerrard, meanwhile, is refusing to look too far ahead but is confident England can top their initial group.

"I think we can get out of the group as winners and then we take the last-16 challenges on," he said.
"I do not really want to look any further ahead but we have a good mix of experience and fresh talented youngsters."
Capello has nine days of preparation with his squad before their opening Group C match at the 45,000-capacity Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg.
The team landed at Johannesburg's OR Tambo airport at 0800 BST on Thursday after an 11-hour flight from London.
The squad headed straight to their base for the duration of the tournament, the newly built multi-million pound Royal Bafokeng Sports Campus at Rustenburg.
Full England World Cup squad numbers
1. David James
2. Glen Johnson
3. Ashley Cole
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. John Terry
7. Aaron Lennon
8. Frank Lampard
9. Peter Crouch
10. Wayne Rooney
11. Joe Cole
12. Robert Green
13. Stephen Warnock
14. Gareth Barry
15. Matthew Upson
16. James Milner
17. Shaun Wright-Phillips
18. Jamie Carragher
19. Jermain Defoe
20. Ledley King
21. Emile Heskey
22. Michael Carrick
23. Joe Hart

Fabio Capello has announced his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup, with good news for both Joe Cole and Jamie Carragher as they are surprise inclusions.

The Chelsea and Liverpool stalwarts have forced their way into the Italian's plans at the eleventh hour, although there is no place for midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who had been tipped for a surprise inclusion, as Capello has given Gareth Barry the chance to prove his fitness.

Strikers Bobby Zamora and Carlton Cole have failed to make the first cut for the plane to South Africa, but Sunderland's Darren Bent will get a chance to impress Capello's coaching staff as the squad head to Austria for a training camp.

Meanwhile in defence there was good news for Tottenham Hotspur pair Ledley King and Michael Dawson, who are both involved along with West Ham United's Matthew Upson. Dawson and Manchester City's Adam Johnson are the only two uncapped players involved in the squad.

Unfortunately there is no place for Everton's Phil Jagielka, who will have to look on from a distance as club team-mate Leighton Baines competes with Aston Villa's Stephen Warnock to be left-back Ashley Cole's understudy at the summer tournament.

That position is likely to be where one of the seven cuts happens, when Capello announces his final 23-man squad on June 1.



England's provisional squad list:

Goalkeepers
Joe Hart Manchester City
David James Portsmouth
Robert Green West Ham United
Defenders
Leighton Baines Everton
Jamie Carragher Liverpool
Michael Dawson Tottenham Hotspur
Rio Ferdinand Manchester United
Glen Johnson Liverpool
Ledley King Tottenham Hotspur
John Terry Chelsea
Matthew Upson West Ham United
Stephen Warnock Aston Villa
Midfielders
Gareth Barry Manchester City
Michael Carrick Manchester United
Joe Cole Chelsea
Steven Gerrard Liverpool
Tom Huddlestone Tottenham Hotspur
Adam Johnson Manchester City
Frank Lampard Chelsea
Aaron Lennon Tottenham Hotspur
James Milner Aston Villa
Scott Parker West Ham United
Theo Walcott Arsenal
Shaun Wright-Phillips Manchester City
Forwards
Darren Bent Sunderland
Peter Crouch Tottenham Hotspur
Jermain Defoe Tottenham Hotspur
Emile Heskey Aston Villa
Wayne Rooney Manchester United