England 2-0 Trinidad & Tobago

The English can't aim. They had so many opportunities during the first half and half of those attempts weren't on the spot (23 shots overall, with only 8 on goal. T&T on the other hand had 7 shots with 3 on goal). Trinidad & Tobago were mostly on the defensive during the majority of the game, but their counterattacks were spectacular. England should be thankful to John Terry for his many saves. England finally picked up some steam during the last 15 minutes of the game (long after Wayne Rooney entered the game), actualizing it first with a goal headed by Peter Crouch (no robot dance) after a 20 yard pass by Beckham at the 83rd minute, followed by another at the 91st minute by Steve Gerrard. Stern John of T&T also scored a goal at the 92nd minute on an offside.

I have to say, those guys from Trinidad & Tobago know how to dribble (not as well as the Argentineans, the Uruguayans or the Brazilians, but who can rival them really).

But with this victory by England, this means that, in order to qualify, Sweden just need to tie one game (preferrably against England) and win their game against Paraguay (tough, but feasible).

Meanwhile, Franklin Foer has a ham-fisted essay on soccer and politics at the New Republic. Really, you should read Eduardo Galeano's Soccer in Shadow & Sun instead.

Also received in the mail yesterday, the first issue of FOURSQUARE, which is beautiful and which features poems by Shanna Compton, K. Lorraine Graham, Elizabeth Treadwell and Linda K. Russo. You should all be reading FOURSQUARE.