Boost for skipper Terry but England still so predictable

But a goal gave Terry the kind of therapy he needed after that horrific climax to last week's Champions League Final. He proved to himself that he possesses the character to bounce back from such a traumatic setback, just as he proved to Fabio Capello that he can lead by example. A timely goal for England's captain for the night if ever there was one.

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Heading in the right direction: Terry gets above the USA defence for the opener

Beyond that, however, it was difficult to get too excited. Certain players did well. That 70-yard goal for LA Galaxy last week reminded us what David Beckham does best and he brought that exquisite delivery back to England last night. Not only  did he provide the free-kick for Terry’s 38th-minute goal but he unleashed a number of other fine balls before being replaced by David Bentley at half-time.

Steven Gerrard also made the best of a difficult evening in what was his third role in three games. Left wing is not his long-term position — and can only hope Don Fabio agrees — but he demonstrated his considerable versatility with a decent display, even if it was not until Gareth Barry gave him more freedom to roam that he scored England’s second goal.

Barry, on as a second-half replacement for Frank Lampard and a possible captain against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, did well and so did Owen Hargreaves. Picking between them is no easy task, assuming Capello has abandoned the idea of deploying them together in central midfield.

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Captain fantastic: Terry (right) celebrates with former skipper David Beckham

Capello said he was happy afterwards. "Very good game," he said. But there were times when England were no more fluent than their manager’s English. A depressingly rigid midfield simply failed in their task of supplying Rooney and Jermain Defoe. The latter had a tough night. If he was impressive in training, he found it difficult to impress when the supporting cast was so lacking in pace and invention.

Rooney clearly found it frustrating, picking up a yellow card that so easily could have been his second. His challenge on Ricardo Clark was shocking, as was the one
that followed, for which he was booked, on Frankie Hejduk.

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Cool finish: Gerrard scores a superb second

After suggesting that Rooney needed to be more ruthless and remain very much in the territory of a second striker, Capello would have been disappointed to see him regularly drop deep into his own half in search of the ball. If Capello wants to get the best out of his best player, he needs to come up with a better system than this.

England were solid. Certainly strong enough to overcome an awful American side. But if this is where Capello is after three games in charge it might just prove how difficult a challenge he has accepted. A team with Beckham and Defoe is not a team you would think that is going to win the World Cup two years from now.