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Euro 2004 football home page EURO 2004 QUALIFICATION _________________________________________________________________________
England were in Euro 2004 Qualification Group 7: The top team in the group qualified for Euro 2004 automatically while the second team in the group had a play off against a second placed team in another group to qualify. England qualified top of the group and their results were as follows:
Date of match Home teams shown first (3 points for a win, 1 for a draw) England were without Sol Campbell and Rio Ferdinand in central defence in the match away in Slovakia with an uneven pitch and a hostile/racist reception from many of the home supporters in the crowd. Slovakia scored first after a cross from the left wing was headed down into the path of an unmarked Nemeth who scored from six yards out. In the second half David Beckham made it 1-1 by taking a free kick from well outside the penalty area and he curled the ball towards the far post - Michael Owen followed it in to hit the ball from 3 yards out but he missed and the ball went in at the far post. Owen did score the winner eight minutes from full time from a Scholes cross on the right wing which he headed in at the near post.
Sakiri scored direct from a corner over Seaman's head to make it 1-0 to Macedonia. Seaman jumped for the ball in the middle of the goal but did not take any steps back and he was criticised after the match for making a similar to mistake to the one he made against Brazil in the World Cup 2002. This would be Seaman's last game for England but he has been a very good goalkeeper for England over his career. A Beckham chip from the edge of the penalty area made it 1-1 after Paul Scholes won the ball and put him through. Macedonia took the lead again however after a bad clearance from Campbell went straight to Trajanov who beat Seaman from outside the penalty area. After 35 minutes Gerrard levelled the score again with a great volley from the edge of the penalty area. Macedonia weathered the pressure in the second half and England were disappointed with the 2-2 draw. Alan Smith was also sent off near the end of the game with 2 yellow cards.
The England team against Liechtenstein was James, G Neville, Ferdinand, Southgate, Bridge, Beckham (captain) (Murphy 70), Gerrard (Butt 65), Scholes, Dyer, Owen, Heskey (Rooney 80) A Michael Owen header (from a Heskey cross on the right wing) and an accurate David Beckham free kick from a central position secured the points for England in the game away in Liechtenstein.
The England team against Turkey was James, G Neville, Ferdinand, Campbell, Bridge, Beckham (captain), Gerrard, Scholes, Butt, Owen (Vassell 59), Rooney (Dyer 89) The game against Turkey was England's biggest test since the World Cup 2002 and 17 year old Wayne Rooney started his first game for England at the expense of Emile Heskey. England had several chances in the match (and the Turkish keeper Rustu made several good saves) before going ahead in the 75th minute. Bridge put in a hopeful cross which Ferdinand connected with but his attempt was saved yet again by Rustu - Vassell then followed up to shoot from close range and make it 1-0 to England. Right at the end of the match Kieron Dyer was brought down by Ergun in the penalty box and Beckham scored the resulting penalty to make it 2-0 to England. After this match England went top of the group 7 table:
11 June 2003 England 2
(Owen 61 pen, 72) Slovakia 1 (Janocko 31) The England team against Slovakia was James, Mills (Hargreaves 43), Upson, Southgate, Cole, Lampard, Gerrard , Scholes, P Neville, Owen (captain), Rooney (Vassell 58) Beckham was suspended in the match at home to Slovakia and so Owen was made captain. Slovakia scored after 31 minutes with a free kick from Janocko a long way out - the ball went into the England net at the far post after a mistake by David James. England did not equalise until the 61st minute. Owen scored a penalty after he was on a good run with the ball and was brought down in the box. Eleven minutes later Owen headed in a great cross from Gerrard for England to take the lead in the match. Owen had a couple more chances to get his hatrick but England had a settle for the 2-1 victory.
6 September 2003 Macedonia 1 (Hristov 28)
England 2 (Rooney 52, Beckham pen 63) The England team against Macedonia was James, G Neville, Campbell, Terry, Cole, Beckham (captain), Lampard (Heskey 46), Butt, Hargreaves, Owen (Dyer 86), Rooney (P Neville 75) Yet again England let in the first goal, this time away in Macedonia. A cross from the right wing was not cleared by Campbell and Hristov scored off James' legs. After 52 minutes Beckham kicked the ball forward to Heskey who headed it into Rooney's path - Rooney scored and became England's youngest goalscorer at 17 years and 317 days. England won the game when Braga brought down Terry in the box and Beckham scored the penalty in the 63rd minute. 10 September 2003 England 2 (Owen 46,
Rooney 52) Liechtenstein 0 The England team against Liechtenstein was James, G Neville, Terry, Upson, Bridge, Beckham (captain) (Hargreaves 58), Gerrard (P Neville 58), Lampard, Beattie, Owen, Rooney ( J Cole 69) England did not score at home to Liechtenstein until the start of the second
half when Owen headed in a cross from Gerrard. Six minutes later Gerrard headed
down a Beckham cross to Rooney who smashed the ball into the net to give
England a record eighth win in a row (see the
England results page).
11 October 2003 Turkey 0 England 0 Beckham missed a penalty in the match against Turkey and had one disallowed
but England spent much of this match defending and were relieved to come away
with the point they needed to come top of the group and qualify directly for
Euro 2004.
Before the match away in Turkey, Rio Ferdinand was dropped from the squad
for failing to take a drugs test at his club ground (Manchester United). The
England players initially threatened a boycott of the match against Turkey
which would have meant England forfeited the match and go into the play-offs.
Fortunately the England players decided to play the match but unfortunately Rio
Ferdinand later received an eight month ban and will miss Euro 2004. The final group 7 table was as follows:
Turkey were later knocked out by Latvia in the second place play offs. |
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