Cahill’s performance shows why Rio should be back for England
England’s 2-1 win over Brazil on Wednesday night was the first time the Three Lions had defeated their South American counterparts since 1990 as goals from Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard secured victory for Roy Hodgson’s side at Wembley.
However, the Selecao were gifted a way back into the encounter in the 48th minute when Chelsea defender Gary Cahill was caught in possession by Fred, with the former Lyon striker smashing past Joe Hart in the England goal.
It isn’t the first time that Cahill’s defensive frailties have been highlighted, with the young centre-back often caught out of position and outpaced by striker’s quicker than him, both domestically and on the European stage.
As a result, many have called upon manager Roy Hodgson to bite the bullet and call upon Rio Ferdinand once again to solidify the backline. It’s evident that his leadership qualities and defensive capabilities are sorely missed, with the Manchester United man reaffirming his position as England’s best centre-back this year.
There are those that question why bringing Ferdinand back into the fold would be wise, especially in 17 months time he would likely be verging on the end of his club career, let alone his international one, but England still need to reach Brazil 2014 before talk of winning the World Cup again reaches these shores. I mean, England DID beat the hosts. At Wembley. Over 90 minutes. That means they’ve basically won it, right?
Anyway, if England are to succeed at reaching the competition next summer, they’ll need to do so without the defensives deficiencies of Gary Cahill. Hodgson needs to put his pride to one side and recall Ferdinand to the national team sooner rather than later.
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