Soccer World Cup countdown: England 3 Hungary 1: This was a practice match, but England cannot have expected to rehearse the frustration they are bound to feel in taxing World Cup matches. The new formation was understandably flawed in its first implementation and little time remains for it to be perfected before the real games start.
England's first two goals had to be set up from David Beckham free-kicks, and Hungary even threatened to claw themselves back from a 2-0 deficit. With 12 minutes remaining, Paul Robinson needed to impress by denying Laszlo Eger as he tipped a drive over the bar.
A win was not guaranteed until substitute Peter Crouch took a fine Joe Cole pass, turned on the 18-yard line and slotted home an exact shot. The display had, over all, been patchy.
The team sheet might have been designed to taunt the visitors with English abundance. Eriksson had named 16 substitutes. But the new tactics may have bemused England themselves more than they did Hungary.
In all the rumination on Jamie Carragher as a holding player and Steven Gerrard at the attacking tip of the midfield, there had been little time left to wonder if Michael Owen would appreciate being a lone striker.
England, perhaps nervous after the medical saga of Wayne Rooney, had sent Owen for a scan when he felt tightness in his thigh on Monday. He was soon given the all-clear, but he was out of sorts before the interval, whether the cause was a lack of fitness or a discomfort with the manner in which his team was structured.
The Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly did not have a save of substance to make until a hectic spell arrived five minutes before half-time.
Even then there was a certain drabness about Owen. He ought to have scored from a perfect Beckham cross but Kiraly blocked his header. As play continued, Csaba Feher slid in and Steven Gerrard seemed to dive to gain a penalty. The Hungary goalkeeper, though, leapt to his right and parried Frank Lampard's effort from the spot before Owen, rushing in, nodded the loose ball onto the top of the bar.
There was a suspicion that the Newcastle centre-forward was not in ideal condition physically, especially when he had made a jaded effort to collect a beautiful, raking pass after 17 minutes. The logging of Owen's efforts might have been unreasonably obsessive were it not for the fact England will depend on him so greatly next month.
He was hindered here by the delay until England began to gel. There was zest following the saved penalty, and Joe Cole appeared to have established a lead when he met a Beckham delivery with a glance of his head after 44 minutes, but the ball came back into play off the inside of the far post.
The men involved for England in that move were the leading performers in Eriksson's line-up at that stage.
The Swede's incredulity at the proposal that his captain should be dropped was explained on the various occasions when Beckham struck the ball with such outstanding technique, though he was later booked. Cole, too, impressed as he appreciated the liberty to be enjoyed while Carragher hung back to cover in midfield.
Nonetheless, the advances of Lampard and Gerrard through the centre to support Owen clearly required more practice.
It was entirely unexpected that the crowd would be chanting "easy, easy" five minutes after the restart as a 2-0 lead was acclaimed, and the swift riposte of a goal from the visitors was appropriate. England scored, not unexpectedly, following a pair of Beckham free-kicks. Hungary should have marked Gerrard at the first, but he was free to guide a header past Kiraly. The next, a treacherous inswinger from the left, was put in the net by John Terry.
Carragher had been somewhat ponderous in midfield, but moving him to right-back so that Owen Hargreaves could come on in the holding role paid no instant dividends. Though the substitute may habitually carry out those duties for Bayern Munich, he was not sharp enough to stop the Pal Dardai from cutting across him in the 55th minute and smashing a lovely drive past Paul Robinson from 30 yards.
The introduction of Theo Walcott and Peter Crouch in the 65th minute was hailed even if it did require the removal of Gerrard and Owen. Pleasing as it often was, Eriksson's initial scheme had not worked out as well as he had hoped.
ENGLAND: Robinson, Gary Neville (Hargreaves 45), Ferdinand, Terry (Campbell 76), Ashley Cole, Carragher, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard (Crouch 65), Joe Cole, Owen (Walcott 65). Subs not used: Bridge, James, Phil Neville, Dawson, Carrick, Jenas, Lennon, Downing, Carson, Defoe, Johnson, Foster. Booked: Campbell, Beckham. Goals: Gerrard 47, Terry 51, Crouch 84.
HUNGARY: Kiraly, Feher, Komlosi (Vanczak 9), Halmosi, Eger, Molnar (Vadocz 83), Huszti, Dardai, Gera, Toth (Torghelle 61), Szabics (Polonkai 73). Subs not used: Vegh, Low, Rajczi. Booked: Feher. Goals: Dardai 55.
Referee: Pieter Vink (Holland).
