England to Rooney: Any time now

By: Robert Millward Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Sunday, Jun. 27, 2010

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This article was published 27/06/2010 (5944 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa — England is hoping Wayne Rooney will regain his scoring form in today’s World Cup match with Germany, while the Germans feel good about their chances if the second-round game ends with another penalty shootout against their classic rivals.

Despite scoring 34 goals during the season, Rooney has been out of form since he was injured playing in a Champions League game quarter-final against Bayern Munich and failed to score as England laboured through three World Cup group games.

England coach Fabio Capello said Saturday the Manchester United striker had looked very good in training ahead of the meeting with the Germans at the Free State Stadium and hoped he would carry that into the game.

"Rooney has trained very well, shot very well at goal and scored a lot of goals (in training)," the Italian told reporters. "We hope tomorrow he will be the same.

"But always Rooney is a really good player. He’s important. He didn’t score goals in the last games but he’s always important for us, with the movement, the assists, with everything he does in the game."

Both teams say they are confident the game will end within 90 minutes rather than go to extra time and penalties as some of their previous meetings have ended.

England famously won the 1966 final at Wembley 4-2 after extra time although the Germans remain convinced the second goal of Geoff Hurst’s unique hat trick never crossed the line. Germany beat England in penalty shootouts in the semifinals of both the 1990 World Cup and Euro ’96.

If this game also goes to penalties, the Germans are giving nothing away.

Germany’s goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke, who played in that Euro ’96 semifinal at Wembley, said current keeper Manuel Neuer would have his instructions.

Koepke was also goalkeeping coach when Germany beat Argentina on penalties in the 2006 quarter-finals, when goalkeeper Jens Lehmann famously pulled a note from his socks with instructions on which way the Argentines took their shots. He stopped two to send Germany to the semifinals.

"We would prefer the match not to go to penalties and that we win in regulation time, but we will be prepared," Koepke said.

— The Associated Press