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England beat Uruguay 2-1 with a late goal from Joe Cole in a friendly match played on 1 March 2006 at Liverpool's Anfield ground. This was to be England's last warm up game before naming the squad for the World Cup 2006. To see the squad selected for this match and the preview of the game click here.

The England team was:                                                                               * booked during game
 

                                                              Paul Robinson
                                                   
 
        Gary Neville                            Rio Ferdinand                        John Terry                   Wayne Bridge
                                                                                                          (Ledley King 46)         (Jamie Carragher 30)

       David Beckham (capt)           Michael Carrick                     Steven Gerrard               Joe Cole
  ( Shaun Wright-Phillips 64)                                                        (Jermaine Jenas 46)

                                                                 Darren Bent                  Wayne Rooney
                                                               (Jermain Defoe 82)        (Peter Crouch 64)
 

Subs not used: David James, Robert Green, Luke Young,  Wes Brown, Kieron Richardson

The team from Uruguay was: Carini (Viera 45), Diogo, Godin, Lugano, Lima, Pouso, Perez (Gonzales 88), Varela (Valdez 90), Vargas (Pereira 77), Regueiro (Martinez 83), Forlan (Medina 85).

Michael Carrick was given the defensive midfield role which allowed Steven Gerrard the more attacking central midfield position in the absence of the injured Frank Lampard. With Michael Owen out injured too, Darren Bent started in attack with Wayne Rooney.

England had the better of the first half with several shots on goal - David Beckham was put through on goal by Joe Cole but hit his shot over the bar. John Terry charged through the opposition's defence but Carini made a good save to deny him a goal. Darren Bent also put a difficult chance just wide and Joe Cole could have scored too.

                                              
                                 Pouso's long range volley goes into the top corner of the net

It was Uruguay who were 1-0 up at half time, however, with an amazing volley from Omar Pouso after 26 minutes of the game which went in the top corner of the England's net (to the left of Paul Robinson's dive). England's luck did not improve when Wayne Bridge got injured and had to be replaced after half an hour when he clashed with his goalkeeper while trying to clear the ball.

                           
        Crouch heads in his first goal for England (1-1)                 Joe Cole gets the winner (2-1)

England were allowed to make up to six substitutions in this friendly and had made 5 of them before England equalised in the second half. Joe Cole went down the left wing and crossed for Peter Crouch to head in the goal from beyond the back post to level the score at 1-1 after 75 minutes.

Joe Cole had a chance to win the game a minute later with a shot that substitute goalkeeper Sebastian Viera saved but he did score the injury time winner - he met a Sean Wright-Phillips cross from the right wing and half-volleyed the ball into the roof of the net to give England a deserved 2-1 win.

England played reasonably well but not as well as in their previous game against Argentina when England won 3-2 with another injury time winner.

Who played well:  Joe Cole was easily man of the match but Peter Crouch also did well when he came onto the pitch and scored his first England goal. Michael Carrick and Sean Wright-Phillips also improved their chances of going to the World Cup.

Who could have played better: Rio Ferdinand had a shaky start but improved and Darren Bent will regret not getting more opportunities to score a goal for England.