International Friendly/ England 3 Argentina 2: With no points to be won England proved one instead. While Sven-Goran Eriksson's players will linger over their memories of this match it will stick, too, in Argentinian minds.
This friendly in Geneva made the supposedly competitive matches since Euro 2004 look like a sham and it was here that the victorious side displayed the mettle they will need at the World Cup finals.
Even if England, who were twice behind, had lost there would have been solace in the recognition that a reeling Argentina could not really contain them in the last 25 minutes. The losers' line-up was much depleted by the close but Jose Pekerman had been forced into the drastic surgery that saw him remove the spine of the side: Roberto Ayala, Juan Roman Riquelme and Hernan Crespo. "It disturbed the whole team in the last three minutes," said the coach.
Argentina, for a while, had staged an extravaganza of midfield sophistication but Pekerman put on a masterclass in candour afterwards. He said the muscle injuries in his ranks were all related to fatigue and warned: "It's a signal to the guys to train more." It was the opposition's zest as much as its effort that the losers could not quite control.
Saturday's match will have been exhilaratingly educational for the England squad. Whenever they think of the slinky Argentinian midfield play they will recall in an instant that they had a belated answer to it.
England ended in pummelling command. Between Michael Owen's strikes, for instance, David Beckham saw his firm header fly too close to the goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri. At that time, with the score at 2-2, Steven Gerrard risked conceding a penalty with his challenge on Julio Cruz but the momentum was rolling England's way.
The delayed goals have subtle benefits. Had they not arrived, for instance, Gerrard, who was named Champions League player of the year for 2005, could have brooded that he had been treated like a common drudge, shoved into three different positions over the course of the evening.
Grievances could be put in storage, though, when his sweeping, testing cross in the 88th minute was converted by Owen with a downward header. The Newcastle striker has aerial elusiveness rather than power and when he claimed the stoppage-time decider the main person he beat to Joe Cole's cross was substitute Peter Crouch.
The game showed England have much still to do but the result ensures the squad can set about the work with anticipation rather than foreboding. In fairness, Argentina, who are ranked fourth in the world, could have piled up a lead that would have been insurmountable even for the intrepid Owen.
The late scenes must still be playing in Eriksson's mind but his brain cannot have taped over footage of the early trouble. A fifth-minute stop from Riquelme was the first of several good saves by Paul Robinson and the midfielder's 12th-minute free-kick led to a disallowed goal by Crespo that could well have stood.
Some of England's difficulties were predictable and any euphoria left-back Wayne Bridge enjoyed over a return to the side - after a mere hour of first-team action with Chelsea since breaking his ankle in February - evaporated as he found that he was simply in no shape to deal with Maxi Rodriguez.
Ledley King will find it impossible to evade introspection. He might have some of the attributes of a holding midfielder but the Spurs centre-half is drastically short of crucial experience.
Decision-making was a torment as he tried to guess when he ought to hold his position and when he should dash off in pursuit of the likes of Riquelme.
Defenders seldom pushed up in support and midfielders were slow to tuck in closer to King. But the centre-backs did the penalty area work well and others were to blame when an unmarked Walter Samuel headed in a Riquelme free-kick to establish a 2-1 lead in the 53rd minute.
Eriksson explained why Rio Ferdinand was picked ahead of Sol Campbell, who has been tormented by a lingering injury in 2005. "I did it because of the latest form of the players. Rio was extremely good against Chelsea. I don't think Campbell is 100 per cent physically. Sol is heavy and it takes time before he is 100 per cent." The back four was undone on 35 minutes by a mistake that was committed far ahead of them. Rooney conceded possession dangerously near the touchline in Argentina's half. Riquelme passed to the busy Carlos Tevez, who released Rodriguez behind Bridge for the cut-back that was converted by Crespo.
In addition to that lapse Rooney had flicked a finish against a post five minutes beforehand when he should have converted, but he cannot be discouraged for long. In the 39th minute a Frank Lampard pass bounced off Ayala and was astutely headed down by Beckham. Rooney timed his run perfectly to apply the finish.
The 20-year-old's imagination is as irrepressible as his character. A minute before Owen's equaliser Crouch chested down and Rooney manoeuvred away from defenders before flighting a chip that Abbondanzieri somehow turned behind. England were delayed but not halted. Should the midfield imbalances be rectified they will also be hard to stop in Germany next summer.
* Guardian Service
