England 3, Peru 0: Sturridge shines, Rooney disappoints

As paper planes rained down on the pitch, England disposed of Peru with a 3-0 win at Wembley on Friday.

The result shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Peru fielded an experimental side and England have an excellent recent history of winning matches at home in the buildup to major tournaments.

However, as is usually the case with England, there were concerns over certain individual performances. This time around, the criticism was largely directed at Wayne Rooney, who looked lackluster playing in a No. 10 role, and Glen Johnson, who made some sketchy decisions at the back.

But overall, Roy Hodgson should be happy with England's performance in what was their last match on home soil ahead of the World Cup. There were no major injuries to the 17 players he fielded, and his 4-2-3-1 formation led to a cohesion that suffocated Peru's defensive-minded 5-4-1. A sublime goal from Daniel Sturridge was also a nice bonus.

The Goals

GOAL! Daniel Sturridge (ENG), 32 min. After struggling to break down's Peru's five-man back line, England finally opened up the scoring when they caught La Blanquirroja's defense napping. Johnson took a quick throw-in and Sturridge did the rest.

GOAL! Gary Cahill (ENG), 65 min. When struggling to score from open play, why not get one your defenders to capitalize on a set piece?

GOAL! Phil Jagielka (ENG), 70 min. Once again, it was a corner kick that allowed England to increase their lead. But this time, the Three Lions received a little bit of help from Raul Fernandez, who fumbled the ball after colliding with defender Alexander Callens.

Man Of The Match

Sturridge's phenomenal left-footed curler in the 32nd minute, which he later called his best goal at the international level, marked his fourth goal in 11 appearances for England and his 15th for both club and country in 2014.

But his performance on Friday went well beyond the excellent strike as Sturridge showed off the qualities which make him so dangerous in front of goal. Namely, Sturridge exemplified his ability to go from zero to 10, even if it takes him some time due to his relaxed nature.

After 19 minutes of not doing much, he stepped up and hit an instant shot when Adam Lallana was forced off the ball in the box. He ended up missing by inches, but it was the wake-up call he needed to start getting more involved. His goal came only 13 minutes later, and from then on, he was placing himself in increasingly threatening positions to break down Peru's back line.

In Sturridge, England have a striker with the perfect blend of composure and arrogance.

The Controversy

Why didn't Raheem Sterling start?

Sure, the match was only a friendly and Hodgson is obviously experimenting with tactics, but based off Sterling's play in the second half, it's apparent just how badly England need him in their starting lineup.

No one in Roy Hodgson's squad provides the pace that Sterling does. He's probably about twice as fast as any other England player and his speed was sorely missed in the first half when the Three Lions looked lackadaisical. It was no coincidence that once he entered the match in the 66th minute, England instantly started playing their best football.

If Sterling isn't starting against Ecuador on Wednesday, Hodgson will have some explaining to do.

What Did England Do To Win?

Going up against a Peru side that deployed five defenders was no easy task for England. It proved to be especially tough for Rooney, whose passes were consistently intercepted by a Peruvian defender or floated far beyond their intended target, which was usually Sturridge.

With things not working out in open play, England's defenders, which spent the better part of the first half picking daisies, stepped up in the final 45 minutes to make the most of their team's set pieces. Cahill headed home a corner kick from Leighton Baines in the 65th minute, and Jagielka capitalized on an corner-kick error from Fernandez five minutes later.

Just like that, Peru's solid form at the back was rendered meaningless.

The Takeaway

With lots of the talk going into the match revolving around whether England would deploy a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1, Hodgson's decision to go with the latter proved a resounding success.

The holding midfield duo of Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson allowed England to execute an aggressive style of play as Peru were given next to zero time on the ball, particularly when Rooney dropped deep to help the Liverpool pairing pressure their opponents.

Once possession was collection and the ball was moved up the pitch, England's front four showed a fluidity that would have provided any of their World Cup opponents in Group D with no shortage of problems. Peru's five-man back line deserves praise for limiting England to only one goal from open play.

When the Three Lions take on Costa Rica, who are likely to use a 5-3-2 approach with wing-backs just like Peru did, they'll be well-prepared for the occasion.

Stray Observations 

• A shout out to the supporters at Wembley for their pre-match mosaic.

• He barely appeared on the television, but Joe Hart came through whenever he was needed. The man knows when and when not to come off his line.
• With England in a World Cup group that features some impressive back lines, their set-piece skills will be an important part of their arsenal.
• Few players can deliver a more threatening corner kick than Baines.
• It's obvious that England benefit from deploying a defensive midfield pairing of Henderson and Gerrard, who are familiar with each other's style of play.
• Sterling absolutely must be a starter at the World Cup. His pace is too dangerous for England not to exploit. Whether that means taking out Rooney or Welbeck is a discussion for another day.
• Fans of "Soccernomics" will undoubtedly be complaining that England should have lost in order to save a win for the World Cup. For those unfamiliar with the book, England's winning percentage in all matches has remained consistent over the decades, meaning they win too many friendlies and not enough important fixtures.