Tuesday 8 June
ENGLAND yesterday (Monday) played their final warm-up game ahead of their World Cup opener against the USA on Saturday.
The Three Lions played local side Platinum Stars and Fabio Capello's came away with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Wayne Rooney.
Joe Hart and Robert Green shared goalkeeping duties while Defoe started the game and Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey each played 45 minutes
Rooney was warned by yesterday's match official Jeff Selogilwe about his conduct on the field.
Rooney was booked in the clash and the referee warned the striker about his future conduct otherwise he could be sent off in a World Cup game.
FOCUS ON: GROUP C
England, USA, Algeria and Slovenia
England
Despite losing the services of captain Rio Ferdinand last week, Capello's side seems strong enough with Ledley King and Jamie Carragher both wanting to prove a point to their Italian manager.
Spurs' Michael Dawson was also called up to the squad in the absence of the Manchester United centre half.
Former Hornet David James has been handed the number one squad jersey although the Portsmouth 'keeper wasn't involved in yesterday's clash.
USA
Many of Bob Bradley's national team play their domestic football in the Premiership and Football League, including of course Hornet Jay DeMerit who will be leaving Vicarage Road this summer.
The current squad did tremendously well last summer in the Confederations Cup final however they have suffered defeats against fellow World Cup qualifiers and their lack of strength in depth has been exposed.
The USA's star man has to be Landon Donovan who holds the goal-scoring record for his country as well as winning the Player of the Year for the sixth time in 2009. His 10-week loan spell at Everton further emphasised the danger he could pose.
The US beat Australia 3-1 in their last pre-tournament friendly on Saturday.
Slovenia
South Africa 2010 will be Slovenia's second World Cup in eight years and for a country with a population of just two million it is quite an achievement.
They are a side with a hunger and nothing to lose. Slovenia are organised and disciplined, lining up in a neat 4-4-2 formation and playing a simple, passing style of football which works very well for them.
Algeria
Two months after qualifying for their third World Cup Finals ever, they were defeated by lowly Malawi in the group stages of the African Cup of Nations. However, they recovered and eventually finished fourth in the competition.
Their most famous World Cup moment came in 1982 when they beat West Germany in the 1982 competition.
They beat Egypt in their play-off game to qualify for this year's World Cup.
This is their first World Cup for 24 years and they'll be looking to reach the knock-out stages.
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