The strong English crowd roared in unison when they saw a familiar figure enter the Arena de Sao Paulo pitch on Thursday night and set the blocks up himself. While the line-ups of England and Uruguay were being announced before the commencement of a crucial Group D encounter, all the English players’ names were cheered by the fans but the loudest exhilaration was perhaps reserved for Wayne Rooney, the long-serving international from Manchester United. The 28-year old was motivated to put up his best display on the day and his intentions were clear – he wanted his team to get the best of Uruguay.
An unwanted tag hovered around the neck of the lad from Liverpool prior to the start of the 20th edition of the World Cup – entering his third global tournament without a single goal to his name in nine matches. Rooney though finally delivered in the greatest show on earth, grabbing his first World Cup goal for the Three Lions in 11 attempts. However, his joy proved to be shortlived as England’s night ended in disappointment via a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat.
The much longed-for World Cup goal arrived against the Celeste, a tap-in from a Glen Johnson defence-threading pass in the 75th minute and the strike was his 40th international goal in 94 games, joint-fourth alongside Michael Owen and behind all-time English goalscorers Sir Bobby Charlton, Gary Linekar and Jimmy Greaves. Rooney has scored for England in the Euros but the goal against Uruguay was probably his most important and one which erases the “failure” tag from his CV. Just imagine, Rooney hanging up his boots and despite a decorated career in club football, he has no goals to show for in the greatest show on earth! Rooney will now feel that a heavy load has been removed from his broad shoulders.
It was learned that he took extra workload upon himself to remain in the good books of his coach Roy Hodgson and was dead serious in the practice session ahead of the high-voltage match. But Rooney was a dejected man at the end. He did not talk with the press in the mixed zone as he brushed away the requests of the media by only saying, “No, sorry.”
Rooney’s equaliser in the 75th minute gave England renewed hope and it would have turned into a goal of paramount importance if the match ended in a draw, however, it was not to be.
Luck was simply not on Rooney’s side as he could have put his name on the scoresheet in the first half when he leapt several feet in the air and outjumped Uruguay defender Martin Caceres from a Steven Gerrard free-kick in the 31st minute but his header agonisingly hit the post. Before that effort, he also got another opportunity in the 10th minute but once again he was unlucky as he blazed a free-kick over the top corner and inches wide from being that much-coveted goal.
Right after scoring the goal past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, he pointed to the sky, blew kisses to the crowd and ran to the corner in a wild celebration and embraced Johnson before being joined by others. His joy however did not last long as England embraced defeat and were on the brink of elimination.
