Soccer/International matches: Darius Vassell distinguished his first appearance for England with a goal in Amsterdam last night as Sven-Goran Eriksson's team shook off an unpromising first half to take the game strongly to Holland in the second.
Holland ...1
England ...1
The Aston Villa striker brought the scores level after Patrick Kluivert had given the Dutch a half-time lead.
The crowd beneath the open roof at the Amsterdam Arena was asked to set a world record - unlikely to be challenged - for wearing clowns' noses, each being handed an orange, foam-rubber proboscis on entering the stadium. For England the night was more about not looking like lemons, their fate at Tottenham in August when the Dutch won 2-0.
Maybe with this in mind, Eriksson chose to start with the strongest defence and midfield available. He caused the biggest surprise by deciding to include both Michael Ricketts and Vassell up front alongside Emile Heskey in a 4-3-3 formation.
Not since Glenn Hoddle gave Michael Owen and Dion Dublin their chance in a 1998 World Cupwarm-up against Chile had two uncapped forwards begun an England game.
Thus, with Southampton's Wayne Bridge starting his international career at left-back, the England coach wasted no time in keeping his promise of action to three of the squad's uncapped players.
The fourth, Tottenham's Ledley King, would have appeared at some point had a virus not denied him even a place on the bench.
From the start, Emile Heskey and Vassell were their busy, bustling selves but Ricketts found it all a little strange. When Stephen Gerrard or Paul Scholes came into a movement there was usually a scoring possibility, otherwise Holland's midfield and defence gently shepherded England into cul-de-sacs.
Not until the 20th minute, when Ruud van Nistelrooy just failed to get to Marc Overmars' centre from the left, did England come under any serious threat. Nevertheless they found themselves behind six minutes later, largely through feeble defending.
As Sol Campbell prepared to clear a ball aimed towards the goalmouth by Ronald de Boer, he was challenged by van Nistelrooy and could manage only a weak header which went straight to Kluivert.
His shot had the pace taken off it by Campbell's desperately lunging foot but Nigel Martyn was left hopelessly stranded by the ball's change of direction and it bobbled lazily into the net.
England did enjoy the glimpse of a goal shortly before half-time when Scholes's pass found Gary Neville sprinting towards the right-hand touchline for a first-time centre that had Edwin van der Sar nearly turning the ball into his own net before Fernando Ricksen diverted it past a post.
Better things were to follow. In the first minute of the second half, Vassell's snap-shot having drawn a diving save from van der Sar, Heskey rose well at the far post to meet David Beckham's free-kick and from this position should have done better than head wide.
Another four minutes, however, and the Dutch goalkeeper was having to move sharply to keep out a swinging free-kick from Beckham.
By his own standards of half-time reshuffles in friendlies, Eriksson's substitutions had been restrained - only four changes, with David James taking over in goal and Bridge, Campbell and Ricketts giving way to Chris Powell, Gareth Southgate and Kevin Phillips. This ensured that England retained their shape.
If ever a man needed a goal it was Phillips, still clinging to his fading hope of a World Cup place. Beckham's little lob did its best to set him up in the 56th minute but van der Sar got there first. Even then, Beckham might have scored from the rebound but could only shoot against the goalkeeper.
On the hour, from Vassell's centre, Phillips's looping header had van der Sar flapping the ball over the bar, and in the next instant England were level. Another cross, from Beckham this time, found the Dutch defenders concentrating on Heskey and Phillips but neglecting Vassell, who popped up in their midst with to score with an unstoppable, chest-high volley.
"There was a man in front of me, and I just gambled. It missed his head and fortunately it went in," said Vassell afterwards.
"I think we deserved a draw," said Beckham. "They are one of the best sides in the world, but we passed the ball around well." The captain said everyone was happy to try a 4-3-3 formation, with Heskey, Vassell and Ricketts providing a pacy and muscular front line. "It had to be tried out and tonight was a good time to do it," he said.
Eriksson said he had always planned to try out the new system. "We played 10 games last year but with World Cup qualification there was never a time to try something different.
"Going to the World Cup with just one system is not very good. We have tried this today and it was good. We did much better today than we did in August (against Greece) with 4-4-2 so hopefully we are a bit wiser."
Guardian service
HOLLAND: Van der Sar, van Bronckhorst, Frank de Boer (Paauwe 69), Reiziger, Ricksen, Cocu (Boateng 46), van Bommel (Davids 46), Ronald de Boer (Sikora 59), Overmars (Makaay 88), Kluivert, van Nistelrooy (Hasselbaink 64). Subs Not Used: Westerveld, Melchiot. Goal: Kluivert 26.
ENGLAND: Martyn (James 46), Gary Neville (Phil Neville 77), Campbell (Southgate 46), Ferdinand, Bridge (Powell 46), Beckham, Gerrard (Butt 77), Scholes (Joe Cole 77), Heskey, Vassell (Lampard 77), Ricketts (Phillips 46). Subs Not Used: Wright. Goal: Vassell 61.
Referee: L Duhamel (France).
