England 1-2 Italy: Mario Balotelli header wins it for Italians after Daniel Sturridge leveller as Raheem Sterling stars

Raheem Sterling was England's main attacking threat, here's his heat map

For England, this was a peculiar kind of World Cup defeat. There will be few recriminations, no grand inquest, little wailing and investigations into what has gone rotten in our national game.
They played well, but lost. Went for it, but lost. Had the best chance, but lost. We’ll live with that. Frankly, we’ll have to.
England were beaten by Italy not because Roy Hodgson was too cautious or our forwards less skilled. Raheem Sterling started and was excellent. Salvatore Sirigu, Italy’s goalkeeper, was among their best players.
The flaw, and it may prove an insurmountable one, is in defence. It wasn’t good enough. We rather suspected it wouldn’t be. Gary Cahill is a better player with John Terry beside him – nothing against Phil Jagielka, by the way, who was the pick of the back four – and Terry isn’t here. Those who remained convinced that the best left-back in the country is the aging – or timeless Ashley Cole – will still take some persuading otherwise.

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Heads up: Italy striker Mario Balotelli (left) scores second goal against England

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On Cloud Nine: Balotelli eludes Gary Cahill and nods in Antonio Candreva's cross

Super Mario: Balotelli (left) strolls off in celebration after his headed goal past Joe Hart (centre)

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Hartbreak: Balotelli (obscured left) plants the ball past Hart to put Italy back into the lead

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Sealed with a kiss: Balotelli gestures to the crowd after his winner

Italy’s winner was soft. Antonio Candreva of Lazio got down the right and beat Leighton Baines too comfortably. His cross was a beauty but Mario Balotelli got the better of Cahill and Glen Johnson was nowhere at the back post. His header had the assurance of a training ground exercise. Maybe it was; but such routine stuff should not win a World Cup tie of this magnitude.
It was an outstanding game. Italy only reverting to cautious type once they had their noses ahead and the minutes were slipping by. Every substitution England made was positive but to no avail. Conditions in Manaus had sucked the life from the game. The next two matches must now be won, and there is much to suggest they could be. After the result in the other group game, England will be expecting to face Luis Suarez in Sao Paulo. It will get no easier from here.
Joe Hart got lucky. At the last World Cup, Rob Green let the ball slip through his fingers against the United States and his international career never recovered. Hart is on surer ground, immune to the effects of one fateful slip, but even so it would have been a big one had Candreva’s shot rebounded the wrong way, when he failed to gather it cleanly after 20 minutes.
Fortunately, the ball ricocheted outwards and with no Italian forward on hand to capitalise, England breathed again. It would have been a travesty had it gone in at that moment, though – the first quarter of this match for England was as promising a start to a World Cup game as many can remember. 

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Roar talent: Daniel Sturridge lets it all out after scoring England's equaliser against Italy

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Cool finish: Sturridge connects with Wayne Rooney's cross to pull England level

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Net gains: Sturridge throws his arms in the air in celebration

MATCH FACTS

England: Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge.
Substitutes: Foster, Wilshere, Lampard, Smalling, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Milner, Lambert, Lallana, Barkley, Shaw, Forster
Italy: Sirigu, Darmian, Paletta, Barzagli, Chiellini, Verratti, Pirlo, De Rossi, Candreva, Balotelli, Marchisio
Substitutes: Buffon, De Sciglio, Thiago Motta, Abate, Cassano, Cerci, Aquilani, Immobile, Parolo, Bonucci, Insigne, Perin
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Holland)

Having been decried for negativity in the past, this was Hodgson making good on a promise to be bold, the selection of Raheem Sterling ahead of Adam Lallana confounding expectations and, almost, the Italian defence after just four minutes.
It was Sterling who signalled England positive intent with a great run through the middle and a shot that flew just wide into the side-netting. It was one of those optical illusion hits, half the stadium on its feet thinking the ball was in. Sadly, no. But it was one hell of a way to announce a World Cup career.
A minute later Jordan Henderson forced another excellent save from Italy’s stand in goalkeeper Sirigu – Gianluigi Buffon being the first victim of the substandard Manaus pitch, claimed in training the previous night – and it was plain there was going to be no repeat of the dour stalemate between these teams in Kiev two years ago.
This was, indeed, a new England, younger, fresher, more ambitious. The decision to play Sterling through the middle was inspired, Wayne Rooney moved to the left but no less valuable for that. He did some excellent tenacious mop up work in the 11th minute which resulted in a Danny Welbeck shot that curled wide.  
Although Italy always look lovely on the ball – England have skill, too, but need a higher tempo to express it – it was Hodgson’s team that were getting in behind the defence. In the 22nd minute, Sterling crossed and for a moment it appeared as if Welbeck had gained an advantage on the blind side until Gabriel Paletta saw the danger and took him out, contriving cleverly to make it appear like an innocent coming together.

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Reaching for the stars: Sturridge seemingly took Hodgson's pre-match advice as he celebrated

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Swift attack: Daniel Sturridge's equalising goal

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Strike one: Claudio Marchisio hits a daisy cutter from 25 yards which arrows past Joe Hart

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Despair: Rooney (centre) looks distraught as Marchisio's shot nestles in the back of the net

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Celebration: Marchisio wheels away after opening the scoring for Italy

Squad game: The Italy reserves all rush to congratulate Marchisio, who is being hugged by Daniele De Rossi

 

More impressive was Andrea Barzagli’s intervention a minute later when Welbeck tried to tee up Daniel Sturridge. The Liverpool man was in inviting space in front of goal but Barzagli acrobatically prevented him reaching the ball. Top defending that ended a top period of pressure from England.
For as the clock passed the 30 minute mark, so Italy appeared to find another gear. Their passing, always tight, became more incisive and a goal was the quick result. The warning came moments earlier. A fine crossfield pass by Daniele De Rossi was met by full-back Matteo Darmian on another lung-busting overlap, and his cross should have been finished by Balotelli, who lost his radar for goal in surprising fashion.
Another Darmian run in the 35th minute won a corner off Leighton Baines, and a shot one saw the ball fed back to Andrea Pirlo. With a knowledge of the movement around him that bordered on witchcraft he dummied and allowed it to run to Juventus’s Claudio Marchisio. His low shot from 20 yards out travelled through two pairs of legs, leaving Hart surprised and he could do nothing but grasp at air as the ball whistled into the bottom corner.

Missed opportunity: Wayne Rooney spurns a chance to equalise late on

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Helping hand: Italians Giorgio Chiellini and Marchisio come to Sterling's aid and Glen Johnson (right) helps

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Getting to grips with him: De Rossi tries to stop Sturridge by grabbing the England striker's shirt

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Friends reunited: Former Manchester City team-mates Hart and Balotelli have a chat at half-time

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Contemplation: Mario Balotelli reflects as a chance goes begging

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Going down the tunnel: England physio Gary Lewin is carried off on a stretcher after dislocating his ankle

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Leaving on a stretcher: England physio Gary Lewin is carried out with a dislocated ankle

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Concern: The England staff crowd round after physio Gary Lewin is injured during the goal celebration

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Back of the net: Sturridge gets tangled up after the ball went agonisingly over his head

Despair for England, but the response was instant. In a counter-attacking move that justfied each of Hodgson’s major decisions, England equalised with quite stunning fluidity. Sterling picked up the ball in his central role and played a pass to Rooney that took four Italian players out in one swoop. Rooney sped down his flank and hit a cross of total perfection that Sturridge could not help but convert. He did the dance, naturally. Careful now. Not wise to expound unnecessary energy in this heat.
 Particularly when the game was very much live. In first-half injury time, Italy had two chances to score and one, at least, was a work of art. Balotelli chased a ball down the left channel and Hart came out thinking he had forced him to an impossible angle. He should have known from years of training together at Manchester City that there is no such thing. The striker sized up the situation and as Hart battled to recover hit the most beautiful chip which Jagielka did brilliantly to keep out of goal with a saving header. From the recycled ball, Italy’s best player on the night, Candreva, hit the base of the post. It truly was a rumble in the jungle.

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Fine margins: Daniel Sturridge watches as the ball flashes across the empty goalmouth as Salvatore Sirigu struggles to reach it

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Fancying his chances: Raheem Sterling unleashes a ferocious shot towards goal from 30 yards out in the opening few minutes

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Inches wide: The ball flew past the post and into the side netting with Italy goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu well beaten

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Illusion: Many fans thought the ball had flown in as it rippled the side-netting

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At a stretch: Sirigu takes the ball in the air with Phil Jagielka in close proximity

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Midfield battle: Italy's Antonio Candreva tries to intercept a Steven Gerrard long pass

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Felled: Marco Verratti is brought down by Wayne Rooney during the first 10 minutes

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Eyes on the ball: Danny Welbeck goes the long way round Gabriel Paletta in pursuit of the ball

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Appeal: Andrea Pirlo claims handball against an England defender as the ball is played across

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Pass master: Andrea Pirlo is shadowed by Jordan Henderson as he tries to get into that metronomic passing rhythm

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Tangle of legs: Danny Welbeck tries to pinch the ball from Giorgio Chiellini during a frenetic opening to the game

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Burned: Raheem Sterling manoeuvres the ball past Italian defender Gabriel Paletta during the opening few moments of the match

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Thirsty work: Daniel Sturridge squirts water over his face in the hot conditions of Manaus... but this was before the anthems!

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Ready to roar: England line up for the customary pre-match photograph as they begin their World Cup campaign

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Community singing: The England and Italy teams line up for the national anthems ahead of kick-off

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Charge! An England fan dressed as St George on the front row in the stands in Manaus

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Support: One of the thousands of England fans who made their way to Manaus to watch the team

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Mascot: One England fan brought a cuddly Shrek to the match, while another got their hands on the World Cup trophy