Disciplined England achieve first target

Nigeria 0 England

England left the steamy industrial city of Osaka yesterday with Denmark in their minds and Brazil in their sights. Lest they get the balance wrong, Sven Goran Eriksson was quick to remind them that the Danes had to be dispatched before a potential quarter-final against the competition's new favourites could be considered.

He then turned to the hack pack and delivered the same message. The first question, reflecting the euphoria building from Honshu to Harrogate, was whether England could go all the way? Some of his predecessors would have bitten at that lure and spiked themselves in the process. Eriksson, having spent much of the last 10 days raising his team's spirits then dampening them down, would not be tempted. He responded: "The players are confident but I prefer to talk about targets. We've achieved the first one, the next one is reaching the quarter-final."

It was then suggested that England erred in settling for a dull but efficient draw against Nigeria yesterday afternoon. Victory would have put them top of Group F and, it was anticipated, out of Brazil's lethally glamourous reach until the semi-final. "You can't say it is better to meet this opponent or that," Eriksson said. "This World Cup shows you never know. Who would imagine France and Argentina would go home in successive days?"

Indeed. By the time you read this, the only Brazilian on England's middle-horizon could be Alexandre Guimarães, Costa Rica's Carioca-born coach.

Besides, as England's players emerged with their faces flushed, it was clear most preferred to play Denmark in the relative cool of a Saturday evening in Niigata than in the broiling heat of an Oita Sunday afternoon. The Big Eye is 350 miles further south of the Big Swan and, as Belgium discovered this week, its design makes it a furnace in summer.

England are also happy to be playing the formulaic Danes rather than the unpredictable Senegalese. "Denmark present a very similar challenge to Sweden," Tord Grip, Eriksson's assistant, said. "It would have been more difficult to play Senegal as you never know what they are going to do."

Grip added: "Teamwork is Denmark's strength but they also have good individuals. They are an attacking team, more 4-2-4 than 4-4-2, and if they play Dennis Rommedahl and Jesper Gronkjaer they will be very, very quick on the wings. It is up to us to force them back."

But while the Danes are a familiar foe they have the Scandinavian habit of being irritating ones. During the last two decades England have won only two of 15 competitive matches against the region's four teams, both against Finland. The Viking virtues, teamwork, hard work, organisation and a dash of flair, may not be a mystery but nor are they easily overcome.

England earned this prize by dint of a patient, disciplined performance. It helped that Nigeria were no more interested in flogging themselves in the sun than England. There was some nice passing by Jay-Jay Okocha, a few speedy breaks by Julius Aghahowa, and a quietly impressive performance as midfield anchor by Justice Christopher. There was not any sense of urgency.

This was fine by England who were sweating hard well before kick-off. With Rio Ferdinand giving another masterful performance and Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt neat in midfield, England were rarely troubled. The only moment of real concern came when the otherwise immaculate David Seaman dropped Okocha's 30th-minute free-kick. Sol Campbell cleared as Aghahowa came in.

England's best response came from Scholes. He would have broken his year-long international goal drought two minutes from the break had Vincent Enyeama not acrobatically tipped his 20-yard drive against the post.

That was as exciting as it got. In the first period Emile Heskey and Michael Owen went close at the near post. In the second Owen almost reached an inviting Heskey cross then Teddy Sheringham, taken by surprise after Ashley Cole's cross had deflected off Owen's thigh, shot over. By then England had settled for control, keeping the ball and rarely committing numbers to attack. "It was important not to push too many players forward," Eriksson said. "It would have been crazy to lose the ball and have Nigeria score on the counter-attack."

While there is some concern that England have now played six hours' football since they scored from open play in a competitive match ­ the last such goal was against Albania in September ­ it was another mature performance.

England should be unchanged against Denmark, the threat of Rommedahl likely to persuade Eriksson to keep Trevor Sinclair, who gave a solid display, in the team and Kieron Dyer on the bench. Alternatively he may go for Dyer in an attempt to put the Danes on the back foot, as Grip suggested. While Ashley Cole was withdrawn with a tight hamstring, everybody should be available for selection except Owen Hargreaves, who is still unable to train on the calf injury he suffered against Argentina.

The stadium, once again, was dominated by England supporters. While many of these are Japanese, the decibel-level during the national anthem suggested a huge number of England fans had got tickets one way or another.

Many will now be making their way to Niigata, Japan's leading source of rice and sake. The latter is an acquired taste but England's supporters may yet have time to acquire it.

Nigeria 0

England 0

How England played: Man for man

* David Seaman (Arsenal)

Apart from a failure to hold a free-kick from Jay-Jay Okocha, this was a display to justify the "Safe Hands" nickname. Provided plenty of reassurance to his back four. (7 out of 10).

* Danny Mills (Leeds United)

Attacked well down the right and provided one good cross that Heskey might have turned in and showed the kind of calmness that his critics doubted he possessed. (6)

* Rio Ferdinand (Leeds United)

Must now be rated one of the best centre-backs in the world. Following on from his display against Argentina in Sapporo, the Leeds captain produced another faultless exhibition of defending. (9)

* Sol Campbell (Arsenal)

Not really troubled by Nigeria's forwards and provided the vital interception when Seaman dropped Okocha's free-kick. Really only suffers in comparison to Ferdinand. (6)

* Ashley Cole (Arsenal)

Looked vulnerable in the early stages of the game and was replaced by Wayne Bridge in the closing moments but in the second half he was almost the only attacking force down the left flank. (7)

* David Beckham (Manchester United)

This was not Argentina revisited. Beckham struggled to test Vincent Enyeama, Nigeria's nervy young reserve keeper, with any kind of decent crosses and his free-kicks were, one miscue apart, off-target. (5)

* Paul Scholes (Manchester United)

Might have scored England's most spectacular goal for many a World Cup had Enyeama not touched his drive on to a post. Showed the required spats of aggression early on but disappeared towards the end. (6)

* Nicky Butt (Manchester United)

Like his Manchester United captain, Butt was not the player he was against Argentina and his display tended towards anonymous efficiency. (5)

* Trevor Sinclair (West Ham United)

Sinclair's threat increased as the match wore on but it seems his performance in Sapporo may not entirely have eliminated Sven Goran Eriksson's problems down the left. (5)

* Emile Heskey (Liverpool)

He was given one clear chance by Mills but the goal-shy Liverpool forward was once more unable to find the target. His ability to rough up defences, even one in which Crewe's Efetobore Sodje was the best player, is much exaggerated. (4)

* Michael Owen (Liverpool)

Had only one clear run at goal which produced a deflected shot wide of the post. This was not one of Owen's classics. (5)

* Substitutes

Teddy Sheringham (for Heskey). Missed one glaring opportunity but otherwise carried more threat than Heskey. (6)

Darius Vassell (on for Owen) and Wayne Bridge (replacing Cole) were not on the pitch long enough to warrant a mark.

By Tim Rich