THEY will be staging a party in Brazil in the summer of 2014.
By SHAUN CUSTIS
There may be a wake going on back here if England do not buck up their ideas.
Two games into their World Cup qualifying campaign, Roy Hodgson’s men are already in a dogfight to reach the finals.
After the euphoria of last Friday’s 5-0 crushing of Moldova, this was a serious reality check.
In the end, it actually felt like a point gained rather than two lost, because disaster loomed with Ukraine still leading in the closing stages thanks to a stunning 39th-minute goal by Man of the Match Yevhen Konoplyanka.
But sub Danny Welbeck’s little chip into the box was blocked by defender Yevhen Kacheridi with a hand and the ever-reliable Frank Lampard smashed home the equalising penalty.
England then finished with 10 men when skipper Steven Gerrard was sent off for a second yellow card offence.
After our sensational summer of sport, this put something of a dampener on it all.
But credit to Ukraine, who were a real test and now hold the upper hand in Group H.
England felt hard done by, though. Jermain Defoe thought he had scored, as did Hodgson and the rest of us, with a crisp, 10th-minute strike from 20 yards.
But the goal was disallowed as Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir ruled the Tottenham striker had caught Andriy Yarmolenko’s neck with his right arm.
The Ukraine player may have made the most of it but Defoe did catch him.
England also hit the post twice through Welbeck and Tom Cleverley, though midfielder Cleverley was also guilty of two poor misses which would have eased the pressure.
This was a steep learning curve for the Manchester United midfielder and Arsenal’s teenage winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Both found it hard going but they will be all the better for the experience.
And it should not be forgotten there were 12 players missing from Hodgson’s squad through injury.
Had they been available last night, the likes of Wayne Rooney, John Terry and Ashley Cole would certainly have boosted the side.
The signs that Ukraine were not going to be rolled over like Moldova were there as early as the fourth minute.
Oleg Gusiev collected on the right and his cross took a wicked deflection off Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The ball looped up and over the despairing Joe Hart, who could not get near it, before bouncing off the far post.
Ukraine tried to force England on to the back foot, just as they did in their narrow 1-0 defeat at the Euros.
Hodgson, in his first competitive game at Wembley, was looking concerned.
He was not best pleased to see Defoe’s effort disallowed and was breathing a sigh of relief when Gerrard made a brilliant covering clearance from in front of his own goal.
England did not help themselves. Defoe met a cross by Gerrard and directed his diving header across to Cleverley.
It seemed the youngster had to score from only four yards but Cleverley shot straight at Andriy Pyatov and the keeper, falling backwards, kicked it away.
How England paid for that when Ukraine struck. Joleon Lescott gave the ball away and, after neat build-up play, the ball reached Konoplyanka.
The wideman stepped inside Gerrard before unleashing a 25-yard curler which gave Hart no chance.
Cleverley badly scuffed another chance from eight yards from Lampard’s pull-back. Yet he was desperately unlucky on the stroke of half-time, when his right-foot shot hit an upright.
Cleverley was replaced by his United team-mate Welbeck on 62 minutes.
Glen Johnson almost equalised with a low, 20-yard strike which the keeper pushed round a post, though a goal-kick was given.
Hodgson brought on Daniel Sturridge for The Ox and Ryan Bertrand in place of Baines and the reshuffle gave England renewed energy.
Welbeck should have scored but hit a post before winning his side the vital spot-kick that Lampard dispatched to spare England’s blushes before Gerrard was sent off for a second yellow card in the final minute.
Hodgson was looking for the ref at the final whistle to dispute Defoe’s disallowed goal and take issue with Gerrard’s red card.
But there was no point arguing. England have to look forward and make sure there are no more slip-ups.
