England’s 1-1 draw with Ukraine at Wembley has dampened the euphoria of a summer of sporting success, with questions emerging over the team’s World Cup credentials. Frank Lampard’s 87th-minute penalty rescued a point after a lacklustre display that left manager Roy Hodgson grateful for the result.
Ukraine took a deserved lead through Yevgeni Konoplianka’s superb 25-yard strike, exposing England’s lack of cohesion and creativity. Hodgson’s side struggled to impose themselves, with young players Tom Cleverley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain failing to replicate their form against Moldova in a sterner test.
The result followed a 5-0 win over Moldova, but this was a reality check for Group H, which also includes Poland and Montenegro. Hodgson pointed to 10 players missing through injury or illness, but the performance raised doubts about depth and quality. Steven Gerrard was sent off for two bookable offences, a decision Hodgson labelled “extremely unlucky”.
Danny Welbeck impressed as a substitute, hitting the post and forcing the handball that led to Lampard’s equaliser. Jermain Defoe also had a goal harshly disallowed. Despite these positives, England’s display was unconvincing, and the margin for error in qualifying looks increasingly narrow.
