By DPA,
London : A week after missing a penalty in the Champions League final, John Terry set England on their way to a friendly victory over the United States.
Steven Gerrard, later named as man of the match, added a second after 59 minutes as England, without overexerting themselves, strolled to a 2-0 victory here Wednesday.
Terry had been inconsolable on the pitch in Moscow after slicing wide the kick that would have won the shoot-out for Chelsea against Manchester United in the Champions League final, but restored to the captaincy, he produced a performance that suggested he would not be long haunted by the miss.
He was not unduly troubled defensively by an insipid US side that looked a shadow of the team that has beaten Poland, South Africa and Switzerland in recent months, but when David Beckham whipped in a 39th-minute free-kick, he rose to plant a powerful header low past goalkeeper Tim Howard.
The way Terry’s teammates made a point of individually congratulating him suggested how much they appreciated their captain’s efforts.
After a 2-1 win over Switzerland and a 1-0 defeat to France, this was England’s best performance under Fabio Capello, although the quality of the opposition should be taken into account.
Jermain Defoe, who was persistently lively without ever quite convincing, twice went close before the second arrived just before the hour following the best passing move of the night.
Owen Hargreaves laid the ball forward to Defoe, who knocked it wide to Gareth Barry, on as a second-half substitute, and he played a glorious first-time through ball for Gerrard to run onto and finish calmly into the bottom corner.
England face Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on Sunday evening.