ENGLAND’S BID.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20454, 6 November 1934, Page 11

ENGLAND’S BID.

Seeks to Regain Soccer Championship. WIN FIRST MATCH. (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, October 4. England have made a fine start in their attempt to regain the international Soccer championship. It has been held for two years by Wales, and in the first match on the programme they were defeated by four goals to nil. Except that Aston Villa refused to release Astley to play at centre forward, the champions had the same side as last season, and it was a formidable one. Moreover, the match was played at Cardiff, and the patriotic Welsh crowd, by their wonderful enthusiasm, made the players even more formidable. In the circumstances, it was a great performance on the part of England. The score suggests a rather onesided game, but this was far from the case. Wales, in fact, played extremely well and had an equal balance of the play. But the ball did not run kindly for them, and they were deficient in finishing power. They had many scoring chances, but they did not once get the ball into the net. Even when they were awarded a penaltjr for a trip that to me seemed accidental Evans, the young Tottenham Hotspur forward, who is usually so deadly in his aim from the spot, drove the ball wide. At the same time England were the better team, working faster in the control and use of the ball and more cleverly. It was one of the youngest sides who have ever played for England, and it was certainly the best for five years. Italians in London. In November the Italians, who won what was called the world’s cup competition during the summer, are to play in London, and it is unlikely that the team will be changed for this important match. The improvement largely came about through the introduction of two forwards, Bowden, the Arsenal inside right, and Westwood, Bolton Wanderers’ inside left. They represent the old type of forward who runs straight, | ever bearing on goal and placing it in ; danger, and at the same time holding j the ball to draw opponents out of position to leave their colleagues unmarked. It was these two players who mainly upset the Welsh defence and created the openings for goals to be scored. An entirely new half-back line, too, were most successful.

Britton, a young Everton player, was brilliant, Barker, of Derby County, as the centre, carried out his dual part in attack and defence with fine judgment, and Bray, from Manchester City, after showing some of the uncertainty of a man figuring in his first international, maintained the high standard of the line. Cooper and Hapgood. the backs, were splendidly safe, and altogether the team gave more satisfaction than any during the past five or six years.