Rustenburg: England
goalkeeper Robert Green offered no excuses for the blunder
which handed the United States a 1-1 draw and declared himself
ready to play again in the World Cup.
Green fumbled a harmless-looking Clint Dempsey shot and
the ball deflected off his gloved hands and across the
goalline in the 40th minute, giving the United States a point
against England in a crucial Group C opener last night.
"I`m 30. I`m a man. I`m strong enough to take it and move
on and be ready for another game if selected," Green said.
"I have no excuses. It`s time to get on with it. That`s
life."
England manager Fabio Capello said he would not
automatically rule out Green for England`s second match on
Friday against Algeria in Cape Town.
"The approach is not to let it affect you for however
many more you play," Green said. "That`s why you prepare
mentally. It`s something where you`ve got to hold your head
high, hang in there and make sure it doesn`t happen again."
The West Ham keeper surrendered the equaliser after
England captain Steven Gerrard had scored in the fourth
minute.
Green made it clear he was confident to return in later
matches even after ripping two vital points out of England`s
pocket and gifting the Americans a point that could loom huge
in advancing to the knockout rounds.
"The approach is not to let it affect you for however
many more you play," Green said. "That`s why you prepare
mentally. It`s something where you`ve got to hold your head
high, hang in there and make sure it doesn`t happen again."
Green insisted his desire to pull on an England jersey
had not been diminished by the biting "God Save The Green"
sort of headlines certain to come in British newspapers.
"I want to play in every game I can," he said. "I`ve made
mistakes in the past. I want to represent as much as I can. If
I get flack for it, so be it. I take responsibility for my
problems and move on."
Green did say that age has brought the confidence to
overcome his humiliation, saying: "At a younger point in my
life, it could have affected me more."
David James, the veteran Portsmouth goalkeeper who served
as a reserve, said it was time to rally around Green rather
than start pushing for James to replace him because of one
lapse moment.
"We need to get behind him," said James, who himself
earned the nickname "Calamity James" for mistakes in his
career.
"There are 23 players and hopefully seven games. There
will always be something you don`t expect. We got a draw out
there. We haven`t lost.”
"I expect we will see him again."
Asked how he felt when he saw what happened with Green,
James said: "Like every goalkeeper in the World Cup -
terrible."
Even US goalkeeper Tim Howard, who plays for Everton in
the English Premier League, had sympathy for Green despite
having had to make a number of saves of his own to allow the
Americans to escape with a draw.
"It`s not clear. You have mixed emotions," Howard said.
"If you play at this level, you have to have broad shoulders
and Robert has them."
Bureau Report
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