By MSN's Matt Ball
Last updated June 4 2006
England's 6-0 demolition of Jamaica was the ideal send-off for the team ahead of the World Cup but the players will need to start practising penalties before the knock-out stages begin.
A big crowd, a hot, sunny day, Gary Lineker inevitably describing it as "a carnival atmosphere" at Old Trafford, six goals and a clean sheet - the game had plenty to enjoy and admire for fans of the home team. Here are the highlights:
Peter Crouch played well, again. He got three (or two if you think one of them should have been given as an own goal), the last one a lovely sidefoot finish after Owen had laid off Stewart Downing's pass. Crouch looks like a certain starter for the opening match against Paraguay. His robotic dance is improving, too.
David Beckham's deadly free-kicks and corners. Perhaps I could have described it as Golden Balls' deadly dead balls but the important thing was that the England captain continued the good form he had shown against Hungary, creating chances with his accurate crosses and passes.
Frank Lampard had a better game. Against Hungary he tended to play too deep and as a result ended up detached from the team's attackers. This time he got forward earlier and so was in the right place to score England's opening goal.
Michael Owen scored. That well-taken goal will boost the striker's confidence. He also provided the assists for Frank Lampard's and Peter Crouch's goals.
England kept possession better. The team has a frustrating habit of conceding possession too easily but in this match they forced Jamaica into making this mistake.
No goals were conceded. Having let in three in the previous two matches, England's defence held out this time.
But England fans should not get too carried away. Apart from during the first five minutes, Jamaica put on a poor display. Tougher teams await in Germany. And Steven Gerrard will want to play better in the midfield holding role. The few attacks Jamaica did muster came in the areas that he should have been protecting.
Are England ready for a penalty shoot-out?
The other lowlight was Peter Crouch's penalty miss, the second spot-kick England have fluffed in two matches.
During the game I received a text message from a friend in Germany. "You are playing well and you are winning 4-0. But you have a more difficult group than us and you are crap at penalties."
The score moved on to 5-0 but lo and behold a few minutes later Peter Crouch, then on a hat-trick, dinks a penalty well over the bar.
A second text arrives from Germany: "I told you so."
England have a poor record in penalty shoot-outs (think Portugal in 2004, Argentina in 1998 and Germany in 1990 and 1996). Apparently head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has chosen Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as his first four players to take penalties in a shoot-out. The other contenders are Ashley Cole, Owen Hargreaves and John Terry.
Perhaps England fans will be reassured that Crouch is not on that list but they will all be hoping that the players chosen will have practised enough times to be confident of scoring when their big moment arrives. | 
