| nd kick off their 2010 World Cup campaign at 7.30 pm | | | | lining up to face England on 12th June. The betting was |
| on Saturday 12th June, at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium | | | | also very similar, with England huge odds on to win |
| in Rustenburg against the USA in what should be, in | | | | with the USA very easy to back with long odds |
| theory anyway, an easy start to their challenge for | | | | against. |
| ultimate World Cup glory in South Africa. | | | | The winning goal in the 1950 match was scored by a |
| England qualified of course as one of the European | | | | certain, Joseph Edouard Gaetjens, who was 36 years |
| Group winners and as such is one of the top eight | | | | old and allegedly an illegal immigrant from Haiti. |
| seeds for the tournament; they are also one of the | | | | When news of the score spread to the English press, |
| favourites to win. The USA on the other hand have | | | | most newspapers believed the scoreline to be a typing |
| never been taken that seriously as World Cup | | | | error and reported the match as either a 10-0 or 10-1 |
| contenders, even when the tournament was held in | | | | success for England. Once the truth actually came out |
| the USA in 1994. Nonetheless, they do have great | | | | however, the sporting world of the English was thrown |
| enthusiasm as well as optimism, something that they | | | | into turmoil, because on that very same day the |
| have in common with the USA team of 1950, who | | | | England Cricket Team had lost for the very first time |
| were the last to face England in the World Cup. | | | | to the West Indies in the Caribbean. |
| Of course English fans will not want to be reminded of | | | | If the World Cup result was not bad enough, the |
| that particular match which was held in Brazil at the | | | | England team went on to lose their next two Group |
| ‘Stadium of Independence in Belo Horizonte. | | | | games, to Spain and Chile and were sent packing, |
| Like the upcoming match in Rustenburg, the 1950 | | | | very unceremoniously back to England to receive the |
| encounter was the first match played in | | | | worst ever welcome home of an English sporting |
| England’s Group of that particular tournament. | | | | team. |
| Little did anyone realise that it would become the first | | | | A team that at that time boasted players of the |
| match ever to have a film made about its outcome. | | | | caliber of Sir Stanley Matthews, regarded as the best |
| The film was based on a book about the match, | | | | player in the world, Sir Alf Ramsey, later to manage |
| written by Geoffrey Douglas and named ‘The | | | | England to World Cup glory of 1966 as well as Roy |
| Game of Their Lives’, but later had its name | | | | Bentley and Stan Mortenson, both amongst the best |
| changed, in typical Hollywood style, to ‘The | | | | forwards in the world. |
| Miracle Match’. Indeed the outcome of the | | | | Of course there is absolutely no chance of a repeat |
| match, for many was a miracle, but the real truth is | | | | of that performance again in South Africa, or is there? |
| that it was a ‘Miracle Result,’ which | | | | England are still regarded as one of the leading nations |
| England fans will certainly not want to see repeated. | | | | in World football and whilst American soccer has |
| The USA in fact won the match by 1-0 and it came at | | | | improved dramatically in the 60 years since that |
| a time when England were one of the favourites to | | | | famous victory, the Three Lions are expected to win |
| win the tournament. The USA in fact were complete | | | | and anything other than a winning start for Fabio |
| outsiders, similar to the team of today and who will be | | | | Capello's men would again be seen as a shock! |