England regained the Soccer Aid crown with a deserved 3-1 win over the Stars and Celebs from the Rest of the World.
England won with Goals from Teddy Sheringham, Jonathan Wilkes and Kevin Phillips. This secured a third Soccer Aid win for the Three Lions who had earlier gone behind to a sublime strike from Kasabian musician Sergio Pizzorno.
Over 67,000 fans in Old Trafford for Soccer Aid 2012, including United striker Wayne Rooney, raised lots of money for global children’s charity UNICEF. The supporters were treated to a highly entertaining evening involving a host of football legends and some of the world’s biggest celebrities from the world of TV, film and music.
The Rest of the World, who were defending champions, had the advantage when it came to the number of former United players on their side – Edwin van der Sar lined up in goal with Roy Keane and Jaap Stam starting together at the heart of the defence.
However it was England who made the early running.
The England team had good pace on both wings with the young legs of X Factor star Olly Murs, on the right, and JLS’s Aston Merrygold down the left and both had a couple of early sighters.
A neat passing move ended with Merrygold striking an effort straight at Van der Sar, before the Dutch stopper saved well with his feet. This was after an excellent run and shot from Olly Murs, who come in off the right wing to make the shot.
Kevin Phillips blasted both a shot and a free-kick over the bar soon after, before the Rest of the World stunned England with a goal out of nothing to take the lead on 22 minutes. Freddie Ljungberg picked up possession just outside the area before slotting a pass to Kasabian’s Pizzorno who, scored a lovely goal from a tight angle on the left-side of the box.
He curled a delicious looping shot over former Arsenal & England keeping Legend, David Seaman.
The three Lions responded well to the setback with Martin Keown heading just wide from a corner and Scouse funny man, comedian John Bishop forcing a top-class save from Van der Sar with a fizzing low drive from the edge of the box, after being well set up by Teddy Sheringham.
Both teams lost players to injuries with Roy Keane coming off for the Rest of the World Team and Olly Murs for England. Hernan Crespo and Marvin Humes from JLS were their respective replacements.
Bar a Kevin Phillips header, which unfortunately went straight at the Row keeper, Van der Sar, the Rest of the World defence stood firm for the remainder of the first half, to ensure they held the 1-0 advantage at the break.
Three minutes later England midfielder Jonathan Wilkes, a scorer in the first ever Soccer Aid in 2006, put the Three Lions ahead with an excellent side-foot finish at Patrick Kielty’s near post, after being found by former England top marksmen Kevin Phillips.
Thereafter England continued to look dangerous on the break with the Rest of the World struggling to create any real openings; indeed Seedorf’s low drive just past the post from a quick free-kick was all they could muster even after the late introduction of 2010 hero, Hollywood Actor Woody Harrelson.
England kept pressing with Sheringham and Wilkes both forcing Kielty into fine saves, but the Irishman could do nothing to prevent Phillips from finding the net and sealing England’s victory in the final minute with an unstoppable effort from the edge of the area.
Crespo hit the crossbar in the dying seconds after radio presenter Jamie Theakston, who come on to replace David Seaman in the second half, came dashing out of his goal, but it was too little too late for the Rest of the World team, as England ran out deserved winners 3-1.
The footie stars and celebs involved in the high profile charity football match were as follows:
England: David Seaman (Jamie Theakston 46); Ben Shephard, Martin Keown (Grahame Le Saux 46), Dan Walker, Paddy McGuinness (Robbie Williams 62); Olly Murs (Marvin Humes 32, Isaacs 89), John Bishop, Jonathon Wilkes, Aston Merrygold (Michael Owen 76); Teddy Sheringham, Kevin Phillips
Rest of the World: Edwin Van der Sar (Patrick Kielty 46); Michael Sheen, Roy Keane (Hernan Crespo 23), Yaap Stam, Aaron Ramsay (James McAvoy 64); Gerard Butler (Woody Harrelson 82), Freddie Ljungberg, Clarence Seedorf; Sergio Pizzorno; Michael Myers (Joe Calzaghe), Will Ferrell (Graham Norton 73)
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