NU Mad World Cup Report

Last updated : 31 May 2010 By Footy Mad - Editor

WC

Tanaka had stunned England by giving Japan a seventh-minute lead and Fabio Capello's side looked uncertain at the back.

But Tanaka levelled matters when deflecting in a cross from Joe Cole and then Nakazawa suffered the same fate from a centre by Ashley Cole.

Frank Lampard missed a 55th-minute penalty but hopes to retain spot-kick duties in South Africa.

"It's down to the manager," the Chelsea player told ITV1. "I'll always want to take it. It wasn't a great penalty. It's disappointing because I've practised loads this week.

"I'm always confident in taking them and that will make me go away and work harder. If the manager wants me to take it I'll always step up."

The miss did not prove costly, with own goals by Marcus Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa overturning Tanaka's opener.

Overall, Lampard was pleased with the final work-out before heading out to South Africa.

"It was not an easy game," he said. "It was not a vintage performance by far but it's about players and the team trying to find their way a bit."

Reflecting on this result and Monday's 3-1 win over Mexico at Wembley, he added: "We've played two and won two. We have to take positives from that.

"It's down to the players. We've stepped up our game. In the first half we were slightly sluggish, and in the second half we got more of the ball and got the ball into their box more quickly."

Fabio Capello has confirmed he knows the names of the players who will carry England's World Cup hopes in South Africa - and they are the same ones he had in mind when he arrived in Austria a fortnight ago.

Capello will not phone the unlucky seven to be axed until Tuesday morning, and has no intention of giving any clues publicly before then.

But, providing the medical update on Gareth Barry confirms the Manchester City midfielder will have recovered from his ankle injury by the time England start training again after their Group C opener against the United States on June 12, Capello's mind is made up.

"I know the 22 players who are in mind. They are the same 22 that I decided last week. Nothing has changed," he said.

"We have to wait for Gareth Barry. We will decide on him after we have had the final check to see how long it will be before he can train with us.

"We have to know everything about this situation but I am not disappointed my mind is still the same."

Although Capello is keeping the exact make-up of his squad secret, there are a couple of certainties.

Neither Michael Dawson nor Scott Parker had played a single minute for Capello during the Italian's two-and-a-half-year reign as England coach prior to the two-week Austrian training camp. And as they still have not been involved, they can book their summer holidays with a large degree of confidence.

Neither Tom Huddlestone nor Darren Bent took the chances afforded to them by a starting berth this afternoon and were replaced at half-time, so they too are likely to miss out.

Stephen Warnock is highly unlikely to displace Leighton Baines as second choice at left-back, which leaves Adam Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joe Cole scrapping over the remaining spot.

And, listening to Capello, Cole's second-half cameo, when he shone more than Wright-Phillips, might have done the job.

"I know Joe Cole very well," said the Italian. "He is in a good moment.

"He is fresh because he did not play a lot of games. Joe Cole is good. He played very well in the second half."