England XI have reclaimed the Soccer Aid trophy with a 3-2 victory over World XI at London Stadium. Damson Idris opened the scoring courtesy of a fine finish with the outside of his right foot after latching onto a Jermain Defoe through ball.
The latter then turned goal-scorer as he netted twice in just a few minutes to become Soccer Aid’s outright top goal-scorer. Michael Essien pulled one back for World XI with a fierce right-footed strike from 25 yards.
Tim Cahill made it a nervous end with a late header but England were able to see out the game. With all of that being said, here is how we rated all the players.
Joe Hart – Made two smart saves early on to deny Nabhaan Rizwan. Did well to keep a clean sheet before being replaced by Joe Marler for the second half. 8
Owen Cooper – Put in a great shift at right-back with some strong tackles and interceptions but was perhaps fortunate to not concede a penalty. 8
Angry Ginge – Rarely put a foot wrong and put his body on the line to deny several shots at goal. Pulled out another goal line clearance to deny an early equaliser for World XI. 9
Joleon Lescott – Showed his Premier League quality throughout and made a great interception to deny a certain goal. 8
Sam Thompson – Struggled early on but recovered well to stop a number of attacks down his side. 7
Jack Wilshere – Linked up with Rooney in midfield. Won possession back high up the pitch which led to the first goal. Controlled the tempo of the second half following Rooney’s departure. 8
Tom Grennan – Did not look too out of place alongside alongside ex-Premier League stars. Had several marauding runs forward but also chipped in defensively. 7
Damson Idris – Finished superbly to give England XI the lead in the first half. Had numerous other efforts at goal and was a regular threat in behind. 8
Wayne Rooney – Ran the show in the first half. Forced Van Der Sar into a fingertip save just before the interval. 8
Toni Duggan – Had some bright moments on the left wing before being replaced. 7
Jermain Defoe – Picked out Idris in acres of space for his goal. Added to his assist with two quickfire chips which saw him become Soccer Aid’s outright top goal-scorer. 9
Joe Marler – Spilled a cross early into his appearance but did well to put off Maisie Adam’s attempt from that error. Did make some great saves to recover after that but perhaps could’ve done better from Cahill’s goal. 6
Paddy McGuinness – Was introduced for his tenth Soccer Aid appearance with two minutes to go. N/A.
Danny Dyer – Came on just after half-time and held off some pressure from Lukas Podolski with ease. 7
Theo Walcott – Was unlucky to not double England XI’s lead with his powerful effort from range tipped over by Chris O’Dowd. Missed two good chances in the final knockings. 6
Jill Scott – Helped England see out the victory in midfield after arriving late to the stadium. Won a number of important headers. 7
Shaun Wright-Phillips – Was released on goal in the second half but saw his close-range shot blocked. 6
Tom Hiddleston – Came on midway through the first half but failed to have an impact during his 21 minutes on the pitch. 7
Jordan North – Slotted in at left-back for the second half and mopped up well. 7
Olly Murs – Came on at right-back during the second 45 and helped his side. 7
Jade Moore – Came on during the first half and assisted Defoe’s first goal. 7
Alex Brooker – Replaced Chloe Burrows for the last few minutes. N/A
Chloe Burrows – Should have had an assist after a great ball into Theo Walcott but he sent the effort wide. 7
GK Barry – Was hilariously caught off guard by the ball being passed to her as she interacted with the crowd. Did gain possession later on with her pass to Tom Grennan intercepted. 6
Jack Whitehall – Showed no sign of being lethargic after travelling back from Budapest but perhaps should have got across to Essien sooner before his goal. 7
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Edwin van der Sar – Could do nothing to stop Idris’ strike but made a great save to deny former United team-mate Rooney in the second half. 7
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Was taken off just passed the midway point of the first 45. Another player to put in a brief but solid shift. 7
Richard Gadd – Looked good at centre-back with one impressive sliding tackle to deny an attack. 7
Nemanja Matic – Tried to get World XI up the pitch when possible with several firm forward passes. 8
Jordi Alba – Got forward quite a lot from left-back and delivered some great balls into the box. 7
Jen Beattie – Played the first 30 minutes and saw a long-distance shot go off target. 7
Dermot Kennedy – Played just behind Essien and screened the back four well. Also got forward to have some shots but they were all blocked. 7
Behzinga – Had a great chance to score in the first half but failed to fire past Joe Hart. Got up and down the right flank very impressively, though. 7
Michael Essien – Was all over the pitch in the first half. Sent a long-range shot over the bar. Scored a great goal from distance. 8
Nabhaan Rizwan – Forced Joe Hart into two early saves. Was a constant threat during the first half. 7
Dimitar Berbatov – Showed off his excellent footwork but grew frustrated with fouls and handball appeals being waved away. 7
Chris O’Dowd – Pulled out a wonderful save to deny Theo Walcott minutes into the second half. 8
Tim Cahill – Won a free-kick early into his appearance before heading home a cross late into the second period. 7
Lukas Podolski – Missed two great chances after being introduced at half-time. Rattled the cross bar late on with a ferocious left-footed effort. 7
Ali Krieger – Played the final 15 minutes of the first half and looked to get forward. 6
Nicky Byrne – Came on for the second half and helped World XI look for a route back into the game. 6
Frankie Dettori – Was thrown on for the final seven minutes. N/A.
Nitro – Was subbed on during the first half and posed a threat on the right with his lightening pace. 7
Simon Neil – Came on for a short period in the second half in defence. 7
Tobi Brown – Was introduced for the final stages as World XI looked for an equaliser. N/A.
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Maisie Adam – Went close to scoring moments after coming on but saw an effort cleared off the line. 7
Molly McCann – Came on 10 minutes into second half. Was a constant nuisance on the right wing. 7