Captain John Terry helped England produce their most impressive performance of the Fabio Capello era with the opening goal in a 2-0 win against the United States at Wembley Stadium in London.
The Chelsea defender had something to smile about after his Champions League final penalty shootout agony when he headed a David Beckham curling free kick to push head coach Fabio Capello's side into a 38th-minute lead.
Former captain Beckham, who won his 101st cap tonight, said Terry's impressive return after the disappointment of missing a penalty in Moscow last week was expected by his teammates.
"We're not surprised by that as players because he's done it before, he does it every time he wears the shirt," Beckham said on BBCi. "He's disappointed by last week and still going through that but on the pitch, you see the man and the player he is.
Steven Gerrard made sure of victory 14 minutes into the second half when he converted a slide-rule pass from substitute Gareth Barry.
The visitors had already survived one lucky escape when Gerrard slotted home David Beckham's curling free-kick, only for the goal to be ruled out because the LA Galaxy star had not waited for the whistle.
When Beckham picked Gerrard out with another free-kick, the midfielder's shot seemed to be heading into the net until Fulham forward Clint Dempsey got his head to it, providing Frank Lampard with a chance from the rebound which he promptly volleyed wide.
Gerrard also set up Beckham and Jermain Defoe, eager to make an impression on his first England start for nearly two years, but neither man could locate the net.
