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Latest PMF Match Headlines

PMF Match Headlines will appear here soon...

International Friendlies

England   V   Holland ( At the PMF National Stadium )

A near capacity crowd flocked to the PMF National Stadium for the first time this season to witness this eagerly awaited friendly between two of Europe's greatest sides at the moment.

England, unbeaten under Buck Hysen may have been forgiven for not taking this friendly seriously, after securing their qualification to the World Cup finals earlier this year. But Hysen's pre match interview in which he said that his side would go all out for victory today, certainly had the home supporters backing their team to the full.

Desperate to prove that they are still one of the best sides in the world after failing to qualify for the World Cup finals next year, Holland looked pumped up for this match before a ball had even been kicked. But they would have been shell shocked by the start England made today.

The noise inside the Stadium as England kicked off sent hairs standing on the back of necks. Holland, who brought almost 7,000 supporters with them certainly added to the atmosphere.

Both sides looked to take control of the game very early on. Gerrard, Beckham, van der Vaart and van Bommel in particular were eager to get a grip on the game in midfield.

van Bommel, who is still rumoured to be looking to a move to the PMF league, may have felt he had something to prove to the many PMF club managers watching from the stands.

Despite the good start from both sides, it was England who were totally awesome in the opening 10 minutes. And their quick, flowing football would have been the last thing that Holland expected.

With Gerrard, Beckham, Dyer and Murphy all getting involved early on, England took control of the midfield play almost immediately, and the England supporters couldn't really believe it when the ever dependable, and still ever improving Michael Owen gave the home side a dream start.

Good work on the right between Beckham and Dyer, released Danny Mills on the overlap, and left Bouma chasing the right backs shadow as Mills exploded down the right.

Stam came across quickly to hold up Mills, but Mills' intelligent ball inside to Beckham, saw the England captain with a couple of yards of space on the corner of the Holland area.

Closed down quickly by 2 Holland players, Beckham knocked the ball infield to Gerrard, who in turn knocked the ball wide to Murphy on the left. England were moving the ball around quickly, and Holland found it difficult to close them down.

Murphy, faced by Reiziger, again used the ball intelligently for the home side, and as the Holland defence prepared for a left footed cross, Murphy pulled the ball back again to Gerrard, 5 yards outside the Holland area.

Gerrard hit a first time right footed cross into the Holland area, curling the ball in behind the two central defenders, and Michael Owen slid in between the two to blast the ball past Waterreus in the Holland goal.

The explosive England start certainly unsettled the Dutch, and although they were having their fair share of the ball in the opening minutes, England still looked livelier going forward.

The opening goal, in the past, may have seen England sitting back on their lead, but amazingly the home side doubled their lead in just the 9th minute.

Murphy, Gerrard and Dyer were again involved in another terrific England move, which saw 13 passes before Dyer's right wing cross to the far post.

Murphy did well to sneak in at the far post, and despite his header striking the post, Fowler was on hand to blast home the rebound.

Holland looked shell shocked, and immediately looked to change their tactics. They needed to keep a hold of the ball and slow things down, and that is exactly what they did.

van Bommel became Holland's main outlet, and was involved in most of what Holland did. Making himself available at all times.

This explosive game was fast becoming an excellent show of just how the game should be played. Both sides were passing the ball well, and with neither side giving away possession cheaply, it was left to the midfielders on both sides to actually go out and win the ball.

England may have been 2-0 ahead, but both sides were enjoying a fair share of the possession, and as the first half wore on Holland became increasingly dangerous going forward.

England were defending well, limiting their Dutch opponents to long shots. Although they could do nothing about Holland's opening goal in the 22nd minute. Another fantastic passing move, this time involving 7 Dutch players and 12 passes, totally opened up the England defence, and Zenden's late run into the box from the right gave Ashley Cole no chance of catching the Chelsea star, Zenden latched onto a fine van Bommel diagonal pass into the box and calmly passed the ball into the bottom right hand corner of the net, although Martyn almost turned the shot onto the post. Unfortunately for him, it was the inside of the post.

With Holland back in the game both sides tried desperately to take control of the game, unfortunately this prevented the flowing football of both sides, as the tackles flew in. The game was never a dirty one though, despite the first half bookings of Beckham, Dyer and Melchiot.

Holland had done well to come back into the game, but despite putting more pressure on England in the final minutes of the first half, the sides went in with England retaining their advantage.

Hysen was obviously concerned that the away side were beginning to enjoy more possession, and he brought on Emile Heskey for Fowler at half time in the hope that Heskey could hold up the ball in the final third of the pitch, and relieve the pressure on his defence.

In saying that, no side ever really dominated this game, and possession wise both sides were equal. The difference being that Holland were passing the ball better than they had done so before, and had slowed the game down to their pace.

Owen always looked a threat for England though, and when he hit the bar in the 61st minute, it appeared as though England were looking to kill the game off.

A quick break in the 67th minute totally changed the complexion of the game though, when Holland struck level in just a few seconds.

An England corner was headed clear by Jaap Stam, and as England struggled to get men back behind the ball, Holland swept the ball forward in typically deadly fashion.

Zenden, van Bommel and van der Vaart were all involved in the swift attack, and it was Zenden's final ball to the edge of the area which saw Patrick Kluivert curl a stunning first time effort around both Ferdinand and Martyn to find the top left hand corner of the net.

The stunning equaliser certainly drove the Dutch on further, and England looked worried at the back with every Holland attack.

With the away side with their tales up, and England struggling to mount any attacking pressure of their own, this match was anybody's.

Just 5 minutes after the 4th goal of the game, there was a 5th. the ever impressive van Bommel was again involved in another fine Dutch move, which again carved open the England defence. Ashley Cole was at fault when he lunged in at Zenden on the right, and the Holland midfielder had all the time in the world to pick out a team mate with his cross.

Campbell rose above Nilsterooy to get a touch on the cross, but his header was a poor one, and it fell to Kluivert on the penalty spot, whose shot hit the inside of the right hand post, before nestling in the bottom of the net.

England looked stunned at Holland's come back, but they could so easily have been level just 40 seconds later, when Danny Murphy had a thundering effort tipped onto the post by Waterreus.

England began to take control of the game again though, as Holland sat back on their lead. And when Hysen brought on Marcus Stewart for Kieron Dyer in the 83rd minute and adapted a 4-3-3 formation, it was clear to see that the England manager wanted at least a draw from this game.

England bombarded the Dutch goal in the final 5 minutes and Owen, Stewart and Murphy all had efforts saved by Waterreus, but as the 90th minute approached, it looked as though Holland were going to come away with a fine 3-2 victory.

As the match went into injury time the 4th official held up the board, which read 3 minutes of injury time left to play.

Although not long, this spurred the England team on more than ever, and with 90,000 supporters urging them on, they laid siege on the Holland goal.

Owen thought he had given England a dramatic equaliser when he latched onto a Steven Gerrard freekick in the 92nd minute, but his glancing header struck the foot of the post, before going behind.

The pressure from England was immense in the final minutes, and Holland defended well. But England grabbed a last gasp equaliser with almost the last kick of the match, and it came from substitute Marcus Stewart.

A high ball into the box from Campbell, was not dealt with by the Dutch defence, Jaap Stam's headed clearance only fell to Owen. Owen, unable to get in a shot at goal due to so many bodies inside the box, laid the ball square to Gerrard. Gerrard hit a shot goal bound, but the ball took two deflections before finally falling to Stewart.

Stewart simply put his head down and hit a shot with all his mite. Luckily for him the shot somehow found it's way through a melee of legs and into the roof of the net.

The PMF National Stadium erupted as Stewart ran towards the England bench to celebrate his first International goal. England had thoroughly deserved their equaliser, although it was harsh on the Dutch.

For Hysen, his unbeaten England record continues, but he will be worried by the fact that his side threw away a two goal lead. Although he didn't have his full strength team on the pitch. And in Danny Murphy he may have found a solution for England's troubled left wing position.

England   3-3   Holland

England Team: Nigel Martyn 7, Danny Mills 7, Ashley Cole 7 ( Michael Gray 7 ), Sol Campbell 8, Rio Ferdinand 7, Steven Gerrard 8, David Beckham (C) 7 ( Frank Lampard 7 ), Danny Murphy 8, Robbie Fowler 7 ( Emile Heskey 7 ), Michael Owen 8, Kieron Dyer 8 ( Marcus Stewart 7 ).

Subs not used: David Seaman, Richard Wright, Chris Perry, Jamie Carragher, Jamie Redknapp, Lee Bowyer, Alan Smith.

Scorers: Owen '3, Fowler '9, Stewart '90

Injuries: None

Bookings: Beckham, Dyer, Lampard

Sendings off: None

Holland Team: Ronald Waterreus 7, Michael Reiziger 7, Wilfried Bouma 7 ( Phillip Cocu 7 ), Jaap Stam (C) 8, Kevin Hofland 7, Mark van Bommel 8 ( Edgar Davids 7 ), Mario Melchiot 7, Rafael van der Vaart 8, Ruud van Nistelrooy 7 ( Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink 7 ), Patrick Kluivert 8, Boudewijn Zenden 8 ( Marc Overmars 7 ).
Subs not used: Sander Westerweld, Giovanni van Bronkchorst, Danny Landzaat, Andy van der Meyde, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Gerald Sibon, David Mendes da Silva.
 

Scorers: Zenden '22, Kluivert '67, '72

Injuries: None

Bookings: Melchiot, Davids, Cocu

Sendings off: None

Shots On Target: England 9-8 Holland
Shots Off Target: 13-14
Corners: 6-3
Possession: 51%-49%
Attendance: 97,885
Referee: Ali Kebab ( Turkey ) 9/10
 

Man of the Match: Danny Murphy - May not have been the biggest name on the pitch, but more than held his own in the company of some great players. And may have solved England's troubled left sided problem at the same time.

Scotland   V   Australia ( At Hampden Park )

In the first round of PMF friendlies, home town favourites Scotland were to take on Australia at Glasgow's majestic Hampden Park.

New Scotland boss Rich McRich, recently chosen to replace long time incumbent Craig Brown, knew that his Tartan army would receive a major challenge by a confident Australian outfit, especially with seven debutants in his preliminary squad of 22 players.

Former international Frank Farina brought with him an experienced and talented side, with the likes of Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka the leading lights, and the Socceroos were high on confidence after finishing third place in the 2001 Confederations Cup, and were drawing closer to a World Cup spot.

The game was billed to be a battle of a strong Scottish defensive against a strong Australian attack, but only one half of this equation was true as the game kicked off. Australia started off much brighter than their hosts, and were unlucky not to take the lead from the first play of the game when a delightful cross by Birmingham star Stan Lazaridis was headed against the bar and out of play by Mark Viduka.

The 3-man Scotland defence was struggling badly, with wingbacks Gary Naysmith and Jackie McNamara not back-tracking properly, they were leaving their three central defenders with a lot of work to do.

Scotland's sloppy start was punished after just six minutes. Again, Lazaridis had no problem in eluding McNamara on the left hand side, and made a run to the byline, drawing Christian Dailly with him, before sending in his second good cross in five minutes. This time, the ball fell straight onto the head of an unmarked Kewell, who sent a bullet header past Neil Sullivan.

The Australians refused to sit back on their lead, and had good claims for a penalty turned down by Russian referee Nikolai Kudjanikyabalov after Viduka was pushed off the ball in the box by Dailly.

The inevitable happened in the 19th minute, when another mistake by McNamara this time allowed the productive Paul Okon down the left. The Middlesbrough midfielder managed to pull the ball across the face of goal, where Matt Elliott could only reach out a foot to clear the ball. The clearance was far too weak though, finding Lazaridis on the edge of the box, who smashed his shot past a stranded Sullivan.

The 30,000-plus Hampden Park fans stuck by their new-look team though, and were rewarded for their constant cheering and singing when the Scots pulled back a goal against the run of play in the 27th minute.

Debutant Stephen Hughes, a prodigy at Glasgow Rangers, got his first run with the ball down the left, ghosting past Brett Emerton and Kevin Muscat. The former Under-21 star then raced into the box unmarked, sending in a low shot which rattled Mark Bosnich's near post, before rebounding out for captain Don Hutchison to happily poke the ball into an empty goalmouth.

The game settled after this goal, with neither attack able to prise open each other's defences, although a 25 yard screamer by the recalled John Collins did warm Bosnich's hands just before the half time whistle. Both managers looked happy enough going into the break, although McRich's assistant Ruan Daniels did look a little worried as his Fulham player Mark Viduka limped off.

The big former Celtic player was substituted during the break, the Australian team doctor pointing out that the striker had a mildly sprained ankle, and although it was nothing very serious, they didn't want to risk it. He was replaced by Paul Agostino.

Scotland made two changes at half time themselves, McRich taking off the out-of-sorts Naysmith and replacing him with Aberdeen defender and debutant Kevin McNaughton, while another first-gamer in Gavin Rae replaced Collins. Australia also replaced the ineffectual Josip Skoko with Sanfrecce midfielder Steve Corica, cousin of Leicester City manager Robbie.

Scotland made the brighter start in the second half when they won an early corner. A delightful cross by Rae eluded the fingertips of Bosnich, but neither Hutchison nor Robbie Winters could convert at the far post, and the ball was cleared by a frantic Socceroos defence.

So it seemed a bit of a surprise when Australia reclaimed their two goal advantage in the 52nd minute. A hopeful long ball from Tony Vidmar in defence found the roaming Agostino in attack, who released Emerton down the right as the Scottish defence called for offside. Television replays clearly showed that Dominic Matteo had played the Feyenoord star onside, and 'Emmo' made little mistake in crossing for Kewell to volley in his second of the game.

This goal stung an angry McRich into action, and he immediately sent on late call up Craig Dargo for Robbie Winters, Ian Murray for Stephen Hughes, and David Weir for the struggling Matteo. The changes worked immediately as Scotland pulled one back minutes later.

Scotland immediately began to control the centre of midfield, thanks largely to the maturity of Gavin Rae, and it was no surprise when the young Dundee star sent in what looked to be an unstoppable 20 yard drive. Bosnich though, in fine form, pulled out a magnificent save, only to see Dargo following up. The Kilmarnock striker delightedly struck the ball into an open net with his first touch in international football.

Disaster struck for Australia when, after the save, Bosnich reeled away in agony, clutching his right hand. He was immediately swapped for Mark Schwarzer, but his injury was later cleared as a badly jarred finger, and he won't miss any games for club side Everton.

In the confusion of the change of goalkeepers, the Scots drew level in the 75th minute. Again Rae was the instigator, this time calmly moving past Okon and Corica in the middle of the pitch before releasing the hard-working McNaughton on the left. The debutants cross was partially blocked by the outstretched foot of Muscat, but the ball managed to dribble its way to the right side of Dargo, who hammered the ball into the top corner of the net to send the crowd wild.

Their celebrations were nothing compared to the 87th minute, when Scotland took the lead for the first time in the game. Hutchison, who was coming a long way back to choke the Australian midfield, took the ball off the tired Okon and went charging down the pitch. The counter-attack, something not seen during the game from the Scots, caught the Socceroos defence off guard, and the West Ham striker hit a ball over the top of the defence for Dargo to run onto. The Killie star could hardly have believed his eyes when Schwarzer, rushing out to tighten the shooting angle, ran into the back-tracking Muscat, and Dargo virtually walked the ball into the net as the crowd went absolutely insane. Surely, this was the winning goal!

But again, this exhilarating game had another twist. Farina sent on Manchester City winger Danny Tiatto for Tony Vidmar, and John Aloisi for Okon, and soon the Scotland box was teeming with green and gold jerseys. The tireless Lazaridis won a corner for Australia in the 90th minute, and quickly sent the ball into the box. Aloisi managed to beat his marker to get the header on goal, but Sullivan pulled out a miracle save to deny the Osasuna striker. The next corner produced the same result, an Aloisi header brilliantly saved by Sullivan, and Kudjanikyabalov checked his watch as the third corner in a minute was swung into the box. This time, it eluded a heavily-guarded Aloisi, only to find its way to Agostino, who used his knee to guide it past Sullivan.

The game ended just seconds after the goal, and truly one of the best games of the season had drawn to a close. For Rich McRich, he would've been pleased with the dedication that his newish squad showed, although the frailty of the defence was alarming. The midfielders and wingbacks seemed a little confused with their exact roles, and this contributed heavily to them letting in four goals. In attack though, Scotland looked better than McRich would've expected, and half-time substitute Craig Dargo surprised all with a solid hat-trick on debut.

Frank Farina would walk away a happy man, two games in a year at Glasgow without losing was a good effort. He got big games from his big players today, and Australia's bid for a World Cup place would surely look safer. Again, though, his defence showed worrying signs of frailty, something which will need to be fixed soon. Luckily, a mixture of two sub par defensive efforts and outstanding attacking displays had resulted in an astonishing game, one which will be remembered for many years to come in PMF.

Scotland   4-4   Australia

Scotland Team: Neil Sullivan 7, Christian Dailly 5, Matt Elliott 6, Dominic Matteo 5 (David Weir 6), Gary Naysmith 5 (Kevin McNaughton 7), Jackie McNamara 4, Barry Ferguson 6, John Collins 7 (Gavin Rae 8), Stephen Hughes 6 (Ian Murray 6), Don Hutchison (c) 7, Robbie Winters 5 (Craig Dargo 8).
Subs Not Used: James Langfield, Eoin Jess.
 

Scorers: Hutchison '27, Dargo '62 '75 '87.
Injuries: None.
Booked: Ferguson, Elliott, Murray.
Sendings Off: None.

Australia Team: Mark Bosnich 7 (Mark Schwarzer 6), Kevin Muscat 6, Craig Moore 6, Tony Popovic 6, Tony Vidmar 5 (Danny Tiatto 6), Brett Emerton 7, Paul Okon (c) 6 (John Aloisi 7), Josip Skoko 5 (Steve Corica 6), Stan Lazaridis 8, Mark Viduka 6 (Paul Agostino 6), Harry Kewell 8.
Subs Not Used: Shaun Murphy, Marco Bresciano.
 

Scorers: Kewell '6 '52, Lazaridis '19, Agostino '90.
Injuries: Viduka (Sprained ankle - 30th November), Bosnich (Jarred finger - 26th November).
Booked: Muscat, Okon, Kewell, Popovic.
Sendings Off: None.

Shots On Target: Scotland 7-8 Australia.
Shots Off Target: 5-5
Corners: 3-7
Possession: 47%-53%
Attendance: 34,102
Referee: Nikolai Kudjanikyabalov (Russia) 8/10
 

Man of the Match: Stan Lazaridis - The popular Socceroo winger pipped hat-trick hero Craig Dargo and teammate Harry Kewell for the award, thanks to pure effort, hard work, and determination for his beloved country.