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2002 FIFA World Cup Group 9  ( Resultats & Information ) 

 Kualifikueset e Kampionatit Botëror - Evrope - Grupi 9 :

England 2 - 0 Albania

Wednesday September 5, 2001

Teams

England: Seaman, Gary Neville, Campbell, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Gerrard (Carragher 83), Scholes, Barmby (McManaman 64), Owen, Heskey (Fowler 55).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Southgate, Hargreaves, Andy Cole.

Booked: Gerrard.

Goals: Owen 44, Fowler 88.

Albania: Strakosha, Dede, Cipi, Xhumba, Fakaj, Hasi (Alban Bushi 45), Murati, Bellai, Fatmir Vata, Rraklli (Mukaj 62), Bogdani (Tare 56).
Subs Not Used: Beqaj, Fortuzi, Rudi Vata, Skela.

Booked: Murati, Hasi.

Att: 51,046

Referee: Juan Antonio Fernandez Marin (Madrid)

1 The odds are on a rout, whatever wise heads have been saying all week, as England kick-off their penultimate World Cup qualifier. You guessed it, it's a punt back to the back four that gets things underway.
2 Beckham gets in his first crosss down near the by-line but it is cleared easily by Cipi.
4 Beckham wafts a ball in towards Owen on the edge of the area and splits the Alabanian defence; Cipi has a go at hacking him down but Owen characteristically stays on his feet only to fall over the feet of 'keeper Strakosha - no penalty despite screams from all quarters.
7 Beckham does a great job of picking out Barmby at the far post, but Barmby wheads wide despite being under no pressure whatsoever.
9 Barmby again; cutting in from the left of the area, he slides the ball through to Heskey in front of goal but Strakosha makes the challenge.
11 Scholes has a snap shot from the edge of the area but it flies over. England certainly starting in the right frame of mind with all of the attacking play and three good chances so far.
14 First moment of doubt in the England defence when Ashley Cole makes a hash of clearing on the left. Campbell tidies up.
16 England free-kick 30 yards out; Beckham takes and Owen gets above everyone to head wide.
19 From keeping things tight early son England now seem happy to allow Albania some space sin which to play; Bata takes them up on the offer with a shot from 25 yards, but he had yards of space to run on.
22 Owen spurns a shot from distance after Heskey knocks down 20 yards out. Not Owen's chosen distance and he loses possession while trying to find a non-existant way through on foot.
24 Scholes looking particularly lively on the right of midfield and wins a corner; comes to nothing after Strakosha charges out like a bull.
27 Another corner to England; Beckham looks for Ferdinand coming into the area but the Leeds captain sees it late and heads over.
29 Two corners in quick succession; Scholes collects a rebound from the second but his shot is blocked.
31 Beckham and Neville make space on the right of the Albanian area, but Owen fires Beckham's cross wide of the near post from six yards.
33 More great play by Beckham as he dummies and slips the ball across the edge of the area to Owen; Owen shoots but Strakosha is equal to it.
35 Booking Murati for harrassing Beckham one time too many.
42 Albania gaining in confidence as Bellai hoofs the ball into space in the England half for Rraklli to at least make it to the edge of the England area. England defence looking hesitant when Albania attack.
Booking Hasi for obstructing an England free-kick.
44 GOAL: England 1 - 0 Albania Lovely ball over the top by Scholes from almost 40 yards; Owen takes superbly on the volley with his right foot from 10 yards.
45 Booking Gerrard for a late challenge. Followed by Albania having their first shot of the game. Half-time. England have had a hatful of chances and could have been four up, but will be mightily relieved to go with at least one.

46 Substitution Alban Bushi on for Hasi. Albania get things underway.
47 Beckham finds Owen down by the right corner; Owen plays it back and Beckham rifles in to Heskey on the edge of the area, but the Liverpool striker cannot control it. The move ends with Neville having a pop from distance.
50 England free-kick from 30 yards. Beckham takes and it comes to nothing.
55 Substitution Fowler on for Heskey. England free-kick out on the left; goes for a corner that latches onto beyond the far post and puts into the stands.
57 Albania win their first corner; Murati takes but Beckham clears at the near post.
58 Owen away in space on the left, cuts inside and fails to find Fowler in front of goal.
59 Tare does well to beat Campbell wide on England's right and cross into the six-yard box - no one there to meet it.
60 Beckham plays in Fowler onside just outside the Albanian six-yard box but Strakosha sticks out a hand to save for an England corner; comes to nothing.
Substitution MacManaman on for Barmby.
66 Bushi shoots wide from just over 20 yards after Cole sells MacManaman short on the left.
68 Good work by MacManaman on the left forces Albania to handle; Beckham's free-kick comes to nothing.
71 Corner to Albania from a shot by Bellai. Tare the man at the centre of the move however, and causing some sloppiness in the England defence.
72 England pressure ends with MacManaman spooning the ball way over the target.
73 More pressure from Albania - not what we want to see at this stage in the game. England need to keep their minds on the job.
76 Fowler's flicked shot from 20 yards is gathered easily by Strakosha.
78 Seaman forced to palm a Murati 25-yarder over as Albania continue in search of an equaliser.
79 Albania free-kick from fully 30 yards out, blocked and cleared by Campbell. All Albania at the moment.
81 A shot to the far post has Seaman palming behind again to be on the safe side. Two corners in succession before England finally clear. Any hope of a break is lost when Owen holds the ball too long and loses possession.
82 MacManaman caught out in the left-back position and nearly gifts Alanania a scoring opportunity with a dodgy header.
83 Substitution Carragher on for Gerrard.
84 Corner to England from a weak Fowler header; comes to nothing.
85 Beckham almost makes it two with a shot from 20 yards before Owen does the same. Strakosha on the ball for both chances.
87 GOAL: England 2 - 0 Albania Fowler with a peach - dribbles in from over 20 yards with a quick nutmeg before popping it over Strakosha from just inside the area.
90 Full-time. A worrying spell in the second half that saw Albania come close to an equaliser but England finish as group leaders with a shell-shocked Greece (they got hammered by the Finns) yet to come in October.

Fright night for England

Sven-Goran Eriksson's England side moved a step closer to automatic World Cup qualification with a 2-0 home win over Albania - but only after Robbie Fowler later goal finally eased seemingly endless tension.

The travelling international outfit arrived in Newcastle to play in front of a packed St James's Park safe in the knowledge that a win against the staunch Albania defensive side would put England into the driving seat for qualification from Group 9. However, it took an opportunist strike from Michael Own late in the first half to finally end the doubt.

That gave England the all-important breathing space, easing the nerves and allowing Eriksson's yougg squad to play possession football. But at only 1-0 Albania could always threaten to spoil the England party, and as the game entered the closing stages keeper David Seaman was called into action to make desperate saves to keep a clean sheet.

Meanwhile, newly substituted winger Steve McManaman was having a nightmare of a match as he twice gave away possession , only for the skilful defence of Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand to save his blushes.

Up until then England had always looked comfortable, but it fell to under-pressure striker Robbie Fowler to finally calm the nerves and his cleverly taken late chip sealed the 2-0 win.

England 2 Albania 0

No hat-tricks this time and no need to alter the history books again, but Sven-Goran Eriksson will not mind at all.

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport Chief Soccer Writer

While England were put through a nervous final half-hour by a spirited Albanian side at St James' Park, Michael Owen was again their inspiration to leave them just one win away from the World Cup finals.

Those who had expected a cricket score, may have been slightly frustrated as Eriksson's side produced a slightly jittery display just four days after their incredible 5-1 win in Munich.

But this was not about matching the heights of Munich or showing off, it was purely a matter of securing three points despite the mental and physical effort that had been expended in Germany.

And after Owen had put his side ahead on the stroke of half-time, Liverpool team-mate Robbie Fowler made sure of that victory with two minutes left with his side's second goal.

In between, England had to show considerable patience and character as Albania took the game to them.

But rather than basking in the euphoria of Munich, they simply rolled up their sleeves and got on with the job of qualifying for the World Cup.

For the fact remains that while England had just one point from two games when Eriksson took charge, they now top the group after five competitive victories and only Greece now bar their path to the World Cup finals.

Conscious that great teams do not rest on their laurels after just one superb result, the realistic Swede had told his team to consign their scoreline in Munich to the back of their minds.

But there was little possibility of that amazing win being ignored when the same line-up that started in Germany - the first unchanged England team for three years - were given an incredible reception at St James' Park.

Indeed, there was a tangible sense that the crowd believed England had finally turned a corner. But enough of the fiesta. There was work to be done.

And while England started as they finished in Germany, with some sparkling movement and attacking breaks, they failed to make an early breakthrough.

Unsurprisingly, their principal tactic was still the same, looking to capitalise on Owen's pace by turning the back-three with balls over the top.

With less than four minutes gone, Owen's sharpness saw him capitalise on slack defending but although he clearly appeared to be tripped by keeper Fotaq Strakosha, there was no penalty given.

To their credit, England were unruffled and came again.

Nick Barmby, who made a sprightly start to the game on the left flank, cut the ball back towards Emile Heskey, who was only just denied by Strakosha.

Barmby himself also headed wide at the far post, but while Owen and David Beckham were Albania's chief tormentors, the final ball never quite came off.

Albania also started to threaten themselves, with some scrappy defending aiding them and they had their own penalty appeal turned down when Ashley Cole tangled with Altin Rraklli, the goalscorer in Tirana.

While England's midfield quartet tried to galvanise the side, with Beckham leading by example, patience was still required to break down the visitors' defence.

Half-chances came and went, while Owen volleyed one good opportunity wide, and England's bark was worse than their bite until just before the interval, when they finally broke the deadlock.

And who else should provide the finishing touch than Owen?

Paul Scholes was the creator this time, perceptively chipping the ball forward to put the Liverpool striker, who had broken through the attempted offside trap, through on goal.

Owen nevertheless still had to show considerable technique as he swivelled to volley the ball on the turn past keeper Strakosha.

It was a vital time to score to ease the pressure, although England still had to take their time in the second-half, with Fowler soon brought on to replace the ineffective Heskey on 55 minutes.

He almost immediately made his mark when Owen's mis-hit volley fell at his feet without a marker in sight on the edge of the six-yard box but keeper Strakosha superbly saved his rather surprised strike on goal.

Eriksson did not delay with his second substitution, bringing on Steve McManaman for Barmby to provide fresh impetus on the left flank with his dribbling skills.

England could not take anything for granted, however. A mistakes by Cole resulted in Erion Bogdani having a sight of goal, albeit only to deliver a tame shot.

Indeed, errors were creeping into England's display across the pitch as Albania made their mark in midfield, with McManaman also guilty of losing possession as Arian Bella's ensuing drive was deflected wide.

Eriksson's team desperately needed a second goal to settle them down but still it did not come. McManaman's lob went over the bar, while Fowler's shot was also saved.

Indeed, it was David Seaman who had to be alert to deny Edvin Murati's long-range effort with 12 minutes left as the visitors intensified their pressure on his goal.

By now, England were effectively hanging on. McManaman was still giving the ball away, Ferdinand and Sol Campbell were hacking the ball clear and Gerrard was visibly tiring, to be replaced by Jamie Carragher.

But this side has character and they again threatened themselves, with Beckham coming close with a curling drive and Owen's header also just saved.

With two minutes left, they finally made the game safe as Fowler latched onto a pass from Liverpool team-mate Carragher to turn exquisitely and lift the ball over Strakosha.

A superb five-day period had been rounded off with a second victory. Forget the performance, feel the three points.

By PA Sport Staff

Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted the 2-0 victory over Albania was something of an anti-climax after the Munich triumph but insisted England were still a "great" team.

England made heavy weather of disposing of the visitors to St James' Park in Newcastle before a goal at the end of each half by Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler secured the leadership of World Cup qualifying Group Nine.

It was a comedown after the 5-1 thumping of Germany, but England head coach Eriksson claimed the result was all-important.

"It was a bit of an anti-climax, yes, but I was really happy with the first half," he said.

"I think we showed a little bit that we still have a great team.

"We won 2-0, we controlled the game apart from 15 minutes in the second half, created a lot of chances while they created maybe one chance and some half-chances.

"You can't expect a team to go out and score five every time in international football."

The Swede believes that the win over Germany on Saturday had taken it out of the players. "When you don't score you are wasting a lot of energy and the game against Germany cost us a lot of energy, physically and mentally.

"Another factor was that Albania played well. We talked about it before and I told everybody I saw that it was not going to be easy.

"Germany only beat them in the last minute, in Germany, and it's a lot easier to just concentrate on defending in football than to attack.

"Halfway through the second half we lost control of them a little and for about 15 minutes we suffered.

"In fact, during that 15 minutes we suffered more than we did against Germany during the whole 90 minutes."

If England beat Greece in their final qualifier at Old Trafford on October 6, they are guaranteed a place in next year's finals in Japan and Korea while Germany will have to contest a play-off.

Eriksson was pleased with England overall but warned that it would be dangerous to read too much into Greece's 5-1 thrashing by Finland.

"That's a very good result for Finland but in football every game has it's own story. It doesn't mean that Greece will come to England and give us a victory," he said.

"It's extremely good to be top of the group but the first objective we should have is to try to go to the World Cup and it now depends on us and we will see what happens next month.

"We have a good team, even if we suffered for 15 minutes tonight, and I am very positive and confident. It has been five good days.

"I never even thought we could take maximum points from the five games. To tell the truth, in January it was more realistic to think about making the play-offs.

"Now, at least, we have a very good chance to win the group."

It was left to Owen to once again put England on their way to victory and Eriksson added: "He's in very good shape and was a little bit unlucky not to have scored more in the first half.

"It's always difficult when a team is defending with nine, 10 or sometimes 11 players."

Albania coach Sulejman Demollari was satisfied with his players, and hailed England's quality.

He said: "We are aware that the England team are one of the best in Europe - and the world - however, we are pleased with our performance.

"For us this was the end of the qualifying matches and I would like to wish the England team all the best for the future."

SVEN-GALI GETS HIS ENGLAND WISH

By Martyn Ziegler, PA Chief Sports Reporter

If there were fears that the new, young aristocrats were to be brought crashing back to earth by the paupers of European football, they were soon to be proved unfounded at St James' Park.

Saturday night in Munich was a glorious exhibition of the mouthwatering potential of English football.

This display against Albania in Newcastle was, by contrast, a necessary test of mental rigour and tactical acumen.

Sven-Goran Eriksson said before the match that he would be happy with a 1-0 victory against the Norman Wisdom fans from the land of King Zog, though he would prefer it to be 2-0.

As so often seems to happen to the Swede, he was granted his wish, even if England did at times make hard work of it, with a little help from those boys from Anfield.

England racked up so many missed chances it could easily have been 5-1 again by half-time and the Swede must have been wishing he had aimed his sights higher as Albania mounted some worrying attacks in the final 10 minutes.

Albania had just plodded on, ignoring each narrow escape and sticking to their game plan.

Perhaps their 10-hour flight from Tirana on budget airlines had given them valuable time to scheme.

But in the end, England once again were left indebted to Michael Owen - who else?

The words 'hot streak' do not do him justice. Defenders need oven gloves just to get near him.

Having said that, relief and joy must have been in equal quantity on the England bench when the Liverpool star finally brought the crowd to their feet.

England may have taken to the field oozing confidence from every pore and dominated their opponents overall, but they struggled to get attempts on target, let alone score, despite a surfeit of opportunities.

In days gone by, that might have been the signal for panic stations to set in, but now Eriksson's players merely kept to the plan and carried on pressing, passing and moving.

Albania, apart from a decent penalty shout when Ashley Cole appeared to trip Altin Raklli, were lacking in teeth up front and out-classed everywhere else in the first half.

Unlike Germany, however, they defended so deeply that Owen was never gifted the wide open spaces to run into that he appreciated so much in Munich.

It meant England's final balls had to be that much more accurate, and forced them to explore other areas of attack.

David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes were once more a pleasure to watch in midfield, even if they were guilty of over-elaborating on occasion.

That it was Owen who once again provided the touch of class to open the scoring was hardly a surprise. A constant peril to Albania, he could have easily been awarded a penalty after less than four minutes and combined on two occasions with Beckham for first-time shots that deserved better reward.

The goal was a minor classic. Scholes lobbed a clever pass into the box with the outside of his right foot and Owen deftly cushioned a volley past Albania's keeper Fotaq Strakosha.

The second period was something of a disappointment both as a spectacle and a portent for the future.

However promising this England squad may be, they are not immune to attacks of nerves and impatience, and that is something Eriksson needs to work on.

Igli Tare's appearance from the bench enlivened Albania and it needed a late goal of such quality from Robbie Fowler, on as a substitute for his injured clubmate Emile Heskey, that his standing in Eriksson's eyes must have risen several notches.

If Owen's goal had been a minor classic, Fowler's was a major one.

Two nutmegs and a delicate chip to finish. Good enough for any team - even new England.

England returned to their luxurious country house hotel as leaders of the group, and must now be supremely confident of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals automatically.

Albania had the pleasure of dodging the building works at a local Holiday Inn, but England should be grateful to them for providing a five-star test of their credentials.

England moved within a victory of the World Cup finals - but only after an unconvincing 2-0 victory over Albania at St James' Park.

Once again Michael Owen proved to be England's saviour, volleying home impressively just 90 seconds before the interval.

It was the Liverpool hitman's 14th strike in just 32 caps and it could yet prove to be one of his most vital.

And with just three minutes remaining, Owen's team-mate at Liverpool, substitute Robbie Fowler, burst past two Albanian tackles before lifting the ball neatly past the oncoming goalkeeper and into the net.

England exploded out of the blocks and were unfortunate not to be ahead in the opening ten minutes.

Firstly, Owen looked to be tripped in the Albanian penalty area by goalkeeper Foto Strakosha, but claims for a spot-kick were waved away. Then Nick Barmby headed wastefully wide at the far-post.

As the game went on though, space on the pitch became more and more at a premium and England began to look nervy.

But Owen looked to have settled Sven-Goran Eriksson's side down in the 43rd minute when he expertly rifled home Paul Scholes' lofted pass beyond Strakosha.

England never really got started in the second period and as the half wore on, found themselves pressed onto the back foot.

But just as nerves around Newcastle began to fray, Fowler proved himself to have the coolest head in the ground as his solo effort secured all three points for England and sent them to the top of Group Nine.

Afterwards, Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted the victory was something of an anti-climax after the Munich triumph but insisted England were still a "great" team.

"It was a bit of an anti-climax, yes, but I was really happy with the first half," he said.

"I think we showed a little bit that we still have a great team.

"We won 2-0, we controlled the game apart from 15 minutes in the second half, created a lot of chances while they created maybe one chance and some half-chances.

"You can't expect a team to go out and score five every time in international football."

Fowler ices England's cake

David Lacey at St James' Park
Thursday September 6, 2001
The Guardian

England last night followed to the letter Sven-Goran Eriksson's instruction to forget Munich. As they struggled to break down an obdurate, tightly organised Albanian defence memories of Saturday's historic 5-1 win over Germany started to become part of recent history.

It took a sharp piece of opportunism by Michael Owen, inspired by a glorious pass from Paul Scholes, to bring England a goal on the stroke of half-time, but still Eriksson's attack laboured against opponents who were never going to be dismissed as lightly as the Germans. Only Robbie Fowler's late strike added some lustre to the scoreline.

For England's supporters, sated by the goalfest in Bavaria on Saturday, it was tempting to regard Albania as lightly as an After Eight mint. England's players knew better. Six months earlier, in Tirana, they had won only after a last-minute attack of hiccups.

To gain the win which would put them top of the group, England now needed to remember the first principles of passing and marking, moving and manoeuvring, a temporary absence of which had cost them an early goal in Munich. The earlier England got this right last night the more likely was Owen to lead another treasure hunt.

Yet as Steven Gerrard and Scholes quickly re-established the command in midfield which had contributed so much to Saturday's triumph, it became obvious that England had no intention of toying with the opposition. Almost immediately Albania's back three were presented with the problem of tracking down Owen and Emile Heskey which had proved well beyond Germany's defenders four nights earlier.

In the opening seven minutes, centres from Gerrard and Owen found Nick Barmby in promising situations at the far post, but first he headed wide and then the ball missed him altogether. At this stage Albania could do little except try to absorb their opponents' initial attacking waves and hope the tide would ebb.

But by the quarter-hour, Albania had made it clear that they had not come to Newcastle simply to provide a red carpet for England's apparently inexorable march to the World Cup proper. Edvin Murati and Nevil Dede were not allowing Gary Neville and Ashley Cole the freedom of the wings they had enjoyed in Munich, and when Scholes thought he had made space for a shot three Albanian bodies hurled themselves in the ball's path. Owen, too, was getting only half-glimpses of goal instead of broad panoramas.

Nevertheless a goal from Owen remained one of the night's safer predictions, the only surprise being that it took him until the 44th minute to score. Just when Albania looked like frustrating England at least until half-time they were undone by a combination of Scholes's vision and Owen's acceleration. The defence had dealt easily enough with a free-kick from Beckham but were then caught un awares by a beautifully timed forward chip from Scholes. As Owen sprinted through to meet it, Murati, pushing up too late, kept him onside. A short, sharp volley past Foto Strakosha and St James' Park roared, then relaxed.

Albania's response was to introduce the tricky Alban Bushi to their attack for the second half. This was not yet an exercise in damage limitation. England still had some defending to do, although David Seaman continued to view the proceedings from afar.

England needed the cushion of another goal, but it was not going to be scored by Heskey, who picked up a knock soon after half-time and gave way to Fowler. Last night Heskey had tended to drop too deep whereas in Greece Fowler had worked wellwith Owen.

The partnership should have produced a second goal for England on the hour, when Owen's half-hit shot bobbled through the defenders to Fowler who was six yards out. Fowler, however, appeared surprised to get the ball and allowed Strakosha to save.

England's football was beginning to stall. With Beckham being battered by Murati when he tried to turn Albania's defence on the right and little coming from Barmby on the left their movements had lost important width. So Barmby gave way to Steve McManaman after 64 minutes as Eriksson strove to restore penetration to his attack.

The ease with which Dede and Devis Mukaj interpassed their way round Ashley Cole on the right warned England of the consequences of allowing the game to drift. A stronger finish from Bogdani and the warning might have become retribution.