Efficient:

England cruised to an uninspiring 3-1 win after a lacklustre second half display from the visitors that is sure to displease their boss Javier Aguirre. The Mexicans played the more attractive football and were unlucky to go in trailing at half time. Their fortune was summed up in the tenth minute when Ricardo Osorio broke free on the right flank and delivered an inviting cross that eluded both Carlos Vela and the veteran Guille Franco.

A few minutes later Steven Gerrard required treatment for a head wound after being clattered from behind by Efraín Juárez. Had it not been a friendly, Juárez would probably have received a yellow card – he would have deserved it. Gerrard required a couple of minutes to be patched up. It was worth it as Liverpoolʼs talisman took the corner that carved open the Mexican defence.

Peter Crouch nodded the the ball back to Ledley King whose glancing header gave goalkeeper Óscar Pérez no chance after seventeen minutes. King had only scored once before for England. Chronic knee problems had curtailed his opportunities – it was his first international for three years. He completed the ninety minutes and committed only one foul.