Football story by Fred Smith, Mon, 14 Nov 2005 22:04:00 GMT


Michael Owen showed once again why he is still regarded as one of the best strikers in Europe by scoring two goals in four minutes to complete an unfathomable win against Argentina in their friendly match in Geneva.

Owen would have completed his hat trick had he not been ruled off-side by the linesman. The game, billed by the England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as the start of the countdown to World Cup, was fast paced with Argentina twice taking the lead only to squander it away in the dying minutes of the match.

Chelsea striker, Hernan Crespo, broke the deadlock in the 35th minute of the match when he converted a low cross from Maxi Rodriguez into a goal. Just before the half time whistle, David Beckham clashed with Juan Pablo Sorin for a header and the ball broke loose only for Wayne Rooney, who had earlier struck the post, to put it past the Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Abbandanzieri.
The English defense once again came under the lens in the 53rd minute when Inter defender Walter Samuel had all the space he needed to put the ball across Paul Robinson converting a free-kick into a goal. It looked as though the second goal by Argentina had deflated England as the clocked ticked away.

Michael Owen has been a kind of nemesis for the Argentinean defense. In his three encounters with the South American giants he has scored three goals and has earned two penalties, one of them being the instigator of dumping Argentina out of the last World Cup. He had a nightmarish last season at Real Madrid, where though he scored eleven goals, he found himself time and again on the substitute bench. Since his move to St. James Park in August, he has started to rediscover his scoring touch regularly and it showed in this match. Just when Argentina coach Jose Pekerman, thought that his team was home and dry, Owen pounced on a cross by his ex-Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard to head home the equalizer in the 86th minute and scored an exact replica in the 90th minute, this time the provider being Joe Cole.

When asked for his thoughts on his partnership with Manchester United's wonder striker Wayne Rooney being seen as the most potent strike force in Europe, Owen said, "The partnership is developing but even from minute one I was thinking 'who couldn't play with him?' We dove-tail with each other really well. Every one of his strengths is totally opposite to my strengths. We showed that in Euro 2004. I had a slow start to the tournament but then started picking up. Wayne was on fire from minute one but in general we are opposites - and when you are opposites you seem to gel quite quickly". He also said that Rooney is sort of player where it doesn't matter whom he plays against and it would be in the best interest of the team to quickly learn his strengths so that the team plays accordingly instead of just knocking off long balls to him.

Eriksson will be hoping that come the biggest extravaganza of football, both his ace players will turn the tournament on its head to bring back the trophy which had visited the Island only once in its 75 year history.

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