Ugly win won't change Capello's mind

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, May 31, 2010

[ENGLAND] England's 2-1 win over Japan Sunday in Graz, Austria, was about as ugly one can get. England fell behind in the seventh minute, missed a penalty kick and only beat Japanese thanks to a pair of own goals in the last 18 minutes. Afterwards, England coach Fabio Capello said the game confirmed who he'll take to the World Cup and who he'll cut.

Japanese goalie Eiji Kawashima saved Frank Lampard's penalty kick after Marcus Tanaka had given Japan an early lead, but Tanaka later headed a cross by Joe Cole into his own net to even the score and another cross, this one by Ashley Cole, was deflected by Yuji Nakazawa past Kawashima in the 83rd minute.

Capello will name his 23-man squad on Tuesday.

“It was a very interesting game for me because I saw a lot of players that didn’t play before and I learned more,” Capello said. “I wanted to try some some different style [in the first half]. The result was not good. I’ve learned some players can’t play this style.”

But Capello said the game won't change who he'll take to the World Cup.

“I know the value of all players," he said.

The major question remains the fitness of midfielder Gareth Barry, who has been unable to train since early May because of an injured ankle.

May 30 in Graz
England 2 Japan 1. Goals: own goals 72, 83, Tanaka 7.
England -- James (Hart, 46), G.Johnson (Carragher, 46), A.Cole, Ferdinand, Terry, Walcott (Wright-Phillips, 46), Huddlestone (Gerrard, 46), Lampard, Bent (J.Cole, 46), Rooney, Lennon (Heskey, 77).
Japan -- Kawashima, Nakazawa, Tanaka, Nagatomo, Konno, Endo (Tamada, 86), Hasebe, Yujki, Honda, Okubu (Matsui, 72), Okazaki (Morimoto, 65).