Football: Shearer provides cutting edge for inspired England: Two classic centre-forward's goals in seven minutes put paid to the United States and crown a display of fluent attacking

England. . . . . .2

United States. . .0

BELO HORIZONTE was already ancient history and Foxboro, the other location to evoke unhappy memories of Anglo-American football matches, can now be consigned to another era as well.

The difference between the England team that lost to the United States last summer and the one that beat them with two Alan Shearer goals last night is already vast, and it is growing all the time. This team had self-belief in its ability and its tactics, which translated into a fluidity of movement and attacking enterprise rarely seen under Graham Taylor. It also maintained Venables' impressive record of four matches without conceding a goal, three of them won.

To be fair, the way Shearer took his goals did make one wonder what Taylor might have achieved had he not been injured. The first, after 33 minutes, was largely made by himself; the second was clinically taken.

The Blackburn forward also adapted well, as did the team, to the new formation. Shearer and Teddy Sheringham linked well with the midfield, John Barnes - once he gained the confidence to push forward - and Darren Anderton caused problems across a range of areas, and David Platt, in the first half at least, continued to get into scoring positions.

Admittedly the opposition were short of the best, but they beat England a year ago and performed creditably in the World Cup. As was evident then, however, they are lamentably weak in attack. Once Shearer scored his two goals in seven minutes late in the first-half the match, as a contest, was over.

The only surprise was that it took England so long to score. Their first chance came after nine minutes, Shearer shooting wide from the edge of the box, and another half-dozen quickly followed.

Barnes, whose first touch brought a mixed reaction from the crowd, was involved in the two most inventive moves, but not before he had earned a cheer, unexpectedly, from a tackle. He was soon acclaimed for more familiar deeds, squaring Shearer's deep pass from across the goal first- time, then jinking through midfield before turning to chip over the static American defence.

On both occasions David Platt was on the receiving end, but first Alexi Lalas, then some poor control, denied him the chance to shoot.

Platt, again, Shearer, twice more, and Sheringham all had further chances before Shearer, picking up an Anderton touch 20 yards inside the American half, burst past two defenders and ran at Lalas. As the beareded American backed off, Shearer drove into the box then shot inside Friedel's near post.

It was not a goal Lalas or Friedel will care to see again, but Shearer will. It was a real rip-roaring, head-down centre-forward's goal and seven minutes later he added another. Graeme Le Saux, given time and space on the left, bent a precise cross to the edge of the six-yard area and Shearer dived in front of Lalas to head powerfully inside the post.

A third nearly followed. Le Saux, from a deeper position, again picked out Shearer. This time Friedel made an excellent save and Shearer found himself not in the celebrating arms of his team-mates but in the embrace of the stretcher bearers as he was carried off after a facial blow.

With the whiff of an international hat-trick in his nostrils, Shearer did not need smelling salts to revive him and he was there for the start of the second half. So too was Eric Wynalda, the Americans having decided they may as well play ball and attack.

There was little early opportunity for Wynalda to shine as England resumed their seige. Barnes took a more prominent role with one dribble and, later, a shot which brought a fine save from Friedel.

The goalkeeper, still attempting to gain permission to join Newcastle, improved his case with another stop from Shearer, but he needed the linesmen's help after 70 minutes when Sheringham stabbed a cross past him. The culprit was Shearer who, standing behind Sheringham, could be said under the new guidelines not to be interfering with play.

The evening's only unsavoury moments came before a ball was kicked. The minute's silence in memory of the former England captain Billy Wright, who died at the weekend, was ignored by a sizeable minority for the first 10 seconds then, after they were hushed into relative silence, cut short halfway through.

The visiting team's anthem was then booed, as is now customary. Since Wembley's atmosphere is one of history rather than intimidation it is hard to see what this achieves, and it is only likely to gee up opponents. It did not matter last night, but it might in two years' time.

ENGLAND (4-4-2): Seaman (Arsenal); Jones (Liverpool), Pallister (Manchester United), Adams (Arsenal), Le Saux (Blackburn); Anderton (Tottenham), Venison (Newcastle), Platt (Sampdoria), Barnes (Liverpool); Shearer (Blackburn), Sheringham (Tottenham). Substitutes: Wright (Arsenal) for Sheringham, 81; Ferdinand (QPR) for Shearer, 81.

UNITED STATES (4-5-1): Friedel (USSF); Agoos (Los Angeles Salsa), Lalas (Padova), Balboa (USSF), Caligiuri (USSF); Jones (Coventry), Sorber (USSF), Dooley (Bayer Leverkusen), Reyna (Bayer Leverkusen), Perez (USSF); Stewart (Willem II). Substitutes: Wynalda (Bochum) for Perez, h-t; Lapper (USSF) for Agoos, 71; Klopas (USSF) for Reyna, 81; Moore (Saarbrucken) for Stewart, 81; Sommer (Luton) for Friedel, 81.

Referee: A Lopez Nieto (Spain).

Scotland's triumph, Aldridge on target, results, page 23

(Photograph omitted)