The England national soccer team narrowly beat Australia 1-0 at home at dawn on Saturday (14). In the warm-up match, England played a substitute lineup in which 33-year-old Jordan Henderson was given the captaincy. The veteran has been the subject of controversy for accepting a high-paying deal with Saudi Arabian club Ittifaq, a move seen as a betrayal of professional principles by some English fans who booed him during the match. However, coach Shoufki remained steadfast in his support and rebuked the fans for their overly aggressive behavior.
England will host Italy next Wednesday (18th) in the Europa League qualifiers in a warm-up match that is clearly not at full strength. Scorer Harry Carney, midfielder Zudi Binningham and Dylan Rice did not play. Nevertheless, the Three Lions still showed a lot of strength. In the 57th minute, Kialisu managed to get his foot on the ball and Onychujanes grabbed the ball and scored. The 27-year-old Aston Villa striker has scored in each of his last two appearances for England, although there have been 563 days between them.
However, the man of the match was undoubtedly Jordan Henderson. When he was substituted in the 62nd minute, the English fans booed once again. The former Liverpool captain has been seen as a minority supporter in the past, but his joining Saudi giants Ittifaq and accepting a salary of £700,000 (HK$6.64 million) per week has sparked widespread criticism. Saudi Arabia is controversial for its oppression of gay and women's rights, and Jordan Henderson's move was seen as a betrayal of the principle, with some even accusing him of being a "hypocrite". The match was Jordan Henderson's first home appearance for England since his gold rush in Saudi Arabia, and he was immediately met with a "warm welcome" from the fans.
