Hail! The prodigal son Wayne Rooney returns with victory for England

 
England hailed the return of their prodigal son Wayne Rooney as the Manchester United striker inspired the Three Lions to a 1-0 victory against Ukraine. Wayne Rooney’s lone goal also secured a quarterfinal spot for England at Euro 2012.
 
Media in England would have painted Europe with Wayne Rooney’s face on it on Tuesday night but they were distracted by England’s under par performance against Ukraine. England has somehow managed to top Group D, a task that looked next to impossible for the Three Lions.
 
Make no mistake! English fans should be worried about how deep their nation would run into the tournament as their gritty win against Ukraine created doubts about their success against the 2010 World Cup winner Spain, who they are supposed to meet in the quarterfinal.
 
For most English fans Wayne Rooney is the person that will lead England to glory. After serving a two-game ban due to suspension Wayne Rooney slowly picked up form in the game. Wayne Rooney’s link-up-play with the midfield was impressive as usual but it wasn’t until late in the second-half of the game that Wayne Rooney came up with the winner.
 
Captain Fantastic, Steven Gerrard was found in sublime form once again. The charismatic Liverpool midfielder has made England’s dismissive performances look better. As a matter of fact, Steven Gerrard has been the pivot for England’s success in the tournament so far.
 
Lady Luck has certainly been helping England where necessary but one can’t help but revel in the sight of Steven Gerrard giving a spectacular display of athleticism and authority in the midfield. Many pundits have already labelled him to be a player of the tournament if England by some miracle manages to defeat Spain in the quarterfinal.
 
England can only defeat Spain if English midfielders increase possession, create set-pieces and link-up play with the forwards. From the first three games of the tournament it can be observed that Steven Gerrard, Scott Parker and James Milner are the three first team midfielders for England.
 
Steven Gerrard has been in phenomenal form for England and there is no need to lay further emphasis on that. Scott Parker has been assisting his teammates tirelessly in the midfield. Scott Parker’s role in the middle of the park is like a soldier ready to run wherever he is called and so far it’s been working for England. James Milner has probably run more than fans from Poland and Ukraine. The youngster has linked up play well and has posed as a threat to defenses.
 
If England manager Roy Hodgson formulates a strategy that puts Spain under pressure or he manages to retain possession of the ball, betting on England could pay off more than betting on horses.