England 3 v Mexico 1

The result was welcome - Mexico are ranked 17th in the World - but the performance was less so, just 18 days before the important one. So what did we learn?

Robert Green did himself no harm in goal, for that matter nor did Joe Hart, although he had less to do in the second half than his rival did in the first. Although I do think David James will be number one, I suspect Green has solidified himself as the #2 keeper.

Defense was hard to measure - it was definitely shaky in the first half, but I think the addition of John Terry and Ashley Cole (rested after the Cup Final) to Rio and Glen Johnson (great goal!) will solidify it. I think Leighton Baines wilted under the pressure, proving he remains very much the understudy to Cole. Carragher will go I think; he has the versatility to cover at full back or centre back, and versatility is vital at the World Cup. Ledley King did himself a favour with the goal, but I don't think we will know his fate until the game on Sunday when I'm sure we'll see how Dawson peforms, for the right to be Terry/Ferdinand's understudy.

I think Carrick may have played himself off the plane with another disappointing performance, whereas Theo Walcott looked sharp on the right and can book his seat on the safari right now. Gerrard was a different player in the second half; perhaps losing the headband helped, but more likely the switch back into central midfield was the difference. Huddlestone is not international class in my book, so I think he'll miss the boat this time. For me Joe Cole has more to offer off the bench, and with Lampard and (hopefully) Gareth Barry to come back in, the right of midfield remains the only real question mark. Walcott looked sharp, Lennon was OK, if not inspiring, and we didnt see Wright-Phillips - maybe we will on Sunday in the final warm up against Japan.

Up front Rooney doesnt look quite right; 1 goal in his last 7 games, as opposed to 10 goals in the previous 7 games, is concerning. Hopefully he'll continue to get fitter in the next 2 weeks. Crouch does what Peter Crouch does - right place, right time. Set up the first goal, bundled in the second and continues his remarkable goal scoring record for the most ungainly footballer you will ever see in an England shirt! And Jermaine Defoe - disappointing...again. But where else does Capello turn? Bent has a hamstring issue, so that leaves Heskey? That for me is the worry - if Rooney doesn't fire, who else can we turn to? That was the problem Utd faced in the closing weeks of the season.

England will face sterner tests than Mexico (possibly not in the group stages) but they certainly need to plug some gaps and fill some holes if they are to overcome likely second round opponents Germany, Serbia or Ghana.

My starting 11 (as of now)

James

Johnson

Ferdinand

Terry

A Cole

Barry

Walcott

Lampard

J Cole

Gerrard

Rooney

On the bench:

Greene

Carragher

Baines

Dawson

Upson

Johnson

Lennon

Defoe

Crouch

Wright-Phillips

On the plane home:

Carrick

King

Bent

Milner

Huddlestone

Warnock