Mixed results do little to increase England's World Cup expectations

LONDON --  

If Roy Hodgson didn't know his starting XI for the World Cup before the friendly game against Ecuador in Miami on Wednesday, he sure knows it now.

On a day when the coach rested most of the men expected to run out against Italy in Manaus -- only Wayne Rooney began the game -- several of the hopefuls failed their auditions. Among the first choices most relieved would have been Glen Johnson, whose extremely poor performance against Peru before the squad left London had persuaded Hodgson to try utility midfielder James Milner at right back.

Milner fared, if anything, even worse than Johnson had done at Wembley, being especially culpable in the concession of Ecuador's first goal in the 2-2 tie at Sun Life Stadium, and it seems safe to assume that the experiment will not be repeated.

Equally confident of their places can be Johnson's colleagues in the established back four. Central defenders Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill were hardly challenged by the Manchester United pair of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling -- the latter was particularly disappointing -- while the teenage left back Luke Shaw all too clearly lacked the experience and pedigree of Leighton Baines.

So, while defense must still be Hodgson's main concern as he prepares to take on Andrea Pirlo and company in the steamy heat of Amazonian Brazil, at least he knows now that the solution is more hard work on the training field, followed by a crossing of the fingers and hoping for the best, rather than a late attempt at remodeling.

In midfield, the results of Hodgson's changes were more mixed, with Frank Lampard and Jack Wilshere unconvincing alternatives to Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson in what you might call the first tier -- England are expected to line up in 4-2-3-1 formation -- but Ross Barkley a lively contender further forward.

Even Barkley, though, seems unlikely to start the game against the Italians, particularly in the light of Hodgson's post-game response to praise of the Everton youngsters performance that "he lost the ball an awful lot of times as well."

Maybe the coach was trying not to let the English media's enthusiasm for Barkley go to his head. It was still surprising that Hodgson aired such reservations in public. And there was no doubt that Barkley's ability to drift past opponents and pick a pass -- notably in setting up England's second goal for Rickie Lambert -- was the highlight of a relatively low-key occasion.

Lambert was excellent as well, though. The 32-year-old from Southampton, who will move to Liverpool at the start of 2014-15 Barclays Premier League season, the club of his boyhood dreams, gave an intelligent and accomplished display, more than confirming his potential to take over from Daniel Sturridge should the main striker lose form or fitness.

The three behind Sturridge will include Rooney, for all the speculation that this World Cup -- the tournament where he will be under more pressure than ever to recover the verve of his teenage contribution at the 2004 European Championship -- could instead see him relegated to the bench.

"I am not really interested," Rooney said when asked about claims he should be dropped on Thursday. "A lot of people have their opinions - but I listen to the people around me and in the coaching set-up. "I don't listen to people outside of the set-up really so anyone, journalists can say what they want. I have got no interest in listening to them."

He was moved to the left for the Ecuador game and the No. 10 role given to Barkley. It remains to be seen how Hodgson arranges things in the final friendly against Honduras, again in Miami, on Saturday but Rooney should be lurking behind Sturridge when the World Cup campaign kicks off, with Adam Lallana to one side.

And to the other side? This is the main area of contention. Danny Welbeck, that most adaptable of center forwards, has a decent scoring record with England. He has height and pace and useful experience from Euro 2012. But voices urging Hodgson to start with Raheem Sterling may include one from within his own head.

Sterling will not be 20 until December -- even Barkley is a year older -- but played a full part in Liverpool's outstanding Premier League season. And again he offers electric pace.

Although Sterling was red-carded after a rough tackle had angered Antonio Valencia -- the Manchester United man was also sent off -- it looked a far from brutal, or even reckless, challenge so Hodgson is unlikely to take that into account. It's Hodgson's toughest decision and Welbeck will need to perform well against Honduras to seal his selection.

Welbeck will surely do enough to persuade Hodgson that this, injuries permitting, is the team to face Italy: Joe Hart in goal; a back four of Johnson, Jagielka, Cahill and Baines; then Gerrard and Henderson; Lallana, Rooney and Welbeck; Sturridge.

And how well can this team do? Think back to that European Championship in Portugal, a decade ago in which Rooney burst on the international scene, only to be invalided out with a foot injury. England have got the same chance of winning the World Cup as Greece had of emerging triumphant then.

Expectations are lower than usual but England should get out of an apparently tough group and at least reach the quarterfinals. If captain Gerrard, for whom there is no obvious replacement -- not the ageing Lampard or brittle Wilshere -- stays fit and the pace merchants can exert their influence on sweating defenses, they could go further. As the tournament proceeds, little Sterling could become a big player.

For much of the Ecuador game it looked as if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might be another young contender. The Arsenal attacker at times outshone even Barkley with his surges down the right flank, before landing awkwardly on his right knee and being substituted. 

At a Vauxhall press conference in Miami, Hodgson said: "He's had a scan and he has some damage to his medial ligament. We couldn't say for certain how long it would take but he will get extensive treatment. We've got the right, if we want, to replace him up to 24 hours before the first game but we'll do everything we can to keep him with us because we'd like to think we'll go beyond the group stage, and of course he played so well last night. He was undoubtedly our best player while he played and it would be a major blow to lose him."

Hodgson added: "He was undoubtedly our best player while he played and it would be a major blow to lose him. Our medical people are optimistic, he's optimistic, so we'll just wait and see and hope for the best."

Depending on the outcome of a scan, he could be replaced in the squad by either Michael Carrick or Tom Cleverley. And that's a decision Hodgson really doesn't want to make.