# Umbro Cup

The Umbro Cup was a friendly international football competition that took place in England in June 1995. The trophy was sponsored by the sports equipment brand Umbro, the manufacturers of the England national team's kit.
Host nation England, Sweden, Japan and world champions Brazil participated in the tournament. Brazil were the eventual champions, after winning all three of their games.
The staging of the competition served as a rehearsal for England's hosting of UEFA Euro 1996 the following summer. Matches took place at Wembley Stadium, Elland Road, Goodison Park, Villa Park and the City Ground.

## Background

England did not compete in the 1994 FIFA World Cup due to coming third in Group 2 in the qualifying round. This led to Graham Taylor resigning on 23 November 1993, six days after England's failure to qualify. England then appointed Terry Venables as manager on 28 January 1994. This, combined with the fact that England qualified automatically for UEFA Euro 1996 as hosts, meant that by mid-1995 the team had not played competitive football for more than 18 months. In preparation for Euro 1996 a rehearsal tournament was organised and sponsored by Umbro.
Venables named a 23 man squad for the competition, but was missing some choices due to injuries. Two players, Paul Ince and Andy Cole withdrew later and were replaced by Jamie Redknapp and Warren Barton. Later in Venables 2014 book it was said that Ince was "frozen out" of the squad.

## Tournament

In the opening round of matches, England beat Japan, and Brazil beat Sweden.
Brazil comfortably beat Japan in their second game. On 8 June, Sweden were leading 3–1 against England but their opponents scored twice in the last two minutes to snatch a draw.
In the final match of the tournament, Brazil beat England.

## Venues

| London | Liverpool | Birmingham | Leeds | Nottingham |
| Wembley | Goodison Park | Villa Park | Elland Road | City Ground |

## Results

All times listed are British Summer Time (UTC+1)

### England vs Japan

The first match of the tournament took place at Wembley and pitted England against Japan. Due to several injuries, four players made their England debuts, leading to a line-up which Veneables described as "a little disjointed". Darren Anderton gave England the lead shortly after the half-time interval but Masami Ihara equalised for Japan. England's captain, David Platt, was fouled late in the game but the referee opted not to award a penalty kick. With only two minutes of the game remaining, Japan's captain, Tetsuji Hashiratani, used his hand to stop the ball going into the goal. He was sent off and a penalty awarded, which Platt scored to give England a 2–1 victory.
| England | Japan |
| GK | 1 | Tim Flowers |
| DF | 21 | Gary Neville |
| DF | 5 | John Scales |
| DF | 15 | David Unsworth |
| DF | 14 | Stuart Pearce |
| MF | 11 | Darren Anderton |
| MF | 7 | David Platt (c) |
| MF | 4 | David Batty | 68' |
| MF | 8 | Peter Beardsley | 68' |
| FW | 9 | Alan Shearer |
| FW | 6 | Stan Collymore | 76' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 17 | Steve McManaman | 68' |
| MF | 19 | Paul Gascoigne | 68' |
| FW | 22 | Teddy Sheringham | 76' |
| Manager: ||
| Terry Venables ||
| GK | 13 | Kazuya Maekawa |
| DF | 19 | Kazuaki Tasaka |
| DF | 5 | Tetsuji Hashiratani (c) | 87' |
| DF | 4 | Masami Ihara |
| MF | 2 | Akira Narahashi |
| MF | 15 | Hiroaki Morishima | | 81' |
| MF | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi |
| MF | 8 | Tsuyoshi Kitazawa |
| MF | 20 | Naoki Soma | | 74' |
| FW | 11 | Kazuyoshi Miura |
| FW | 14 | Masashi Nakayama | | 65' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 9 | Hisashi Kurosaki | | 65' |
| MF | 3 | Hiroshige Yanagimoto | | 74' |
| MF | 16 | Masahiro Fukuda | | 81' |
| Manager: ||
| Shu Kamo ||

### Brazil vs Sweden

| Brazil | Sweden |
| GK | 1 | Zetti |
| RB | 2 | Jorginho |
| CB | 3 | Aldair |
| CB | 4 | Ronaldão |
| LB | 6 | Roberto Carlos |
| DM | 8 | Dunga (c) |
| DM | 5 | César Sampaio | 77' |
| AM | 11 | Zinho |
| AM | 10 | Juninho Paulista |
| FW | 7 | Edmundo |
| FW | 9 | Ronaldo |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 16 | André Cruz | 77' |
| Manager: ||
| Mário Zagallo ||
| GK | 12 | Bengt Andersson |
| DF | 14 | Pontus Kåmark |
| DF | 15 | Teddy Lučić |
| DF | 4 | Joachim Björklund |
| DF | 5 | Roger Ljung |
| MF | 9 | Jonas Thern (c) | 46' |
| MF | 16 | Niclas Alexandersson |
| MF | 8 | Håkan Mild |
| MF | 21 | Magnus Erlingmark |
| FW | 10 | Martin Dahlin | 78' |
| FW | 11 | Kennet Andersson | 67' |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 19 | Niklas Gudmundsson | 46' |
| FW | 17 | Henrik Larsson | 67' |
| FW | 21 | Dick Lidman | 78' |
| Manager: ||
| Tommy Svensson ||

### Japan vs Brazil

| Japan | Brazil |
| GK | 1 | Nobuyuki Kojima |
| SW | 4 | Masami Ihara |
| DF | 2 | Akira Narahashi |
| DF | 19 | Kazuaki Tasaka | 80' |
| DF | 17 | Norio Omura |
| DF | 20 | Naoki Soma |
| MF | 15 | Hiroaki Morishima | 67' |
| MF | 8 | Tsuyoshi Kitazawa |
| MF | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi |
| MF | 11 | Kazuyoshi Miura |
| FW | 14 | Masashi Nakayama | 46' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 16 | Masahiro Fukuda | 46' |
| FW | 9 | Hisashi Kurosaki | 67' |
| DF | 3 | Hiroshige Yanagimoto | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Shu Kamo ||
| GK | 1 | Zetti |
| DF | 2 | Jorginho |
| DF | 3 | Aldair |
| DF | 4 | Márcio Santos |
| DF | 6 | Roberto Carlos |
| MF | 10 | Juninho Paulista | 61' |
| MF | 8 | Dunga (c) |
| MF | 5 | Doriva |
| MF | 11 | Zinho | 73' |
| FW | 7 | Edmundo |
| FW | 9 | Ronaldo |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 13 | Leonardo | 61' |
| FW | 15 | Rivaldo | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| Mário Zagallo ||

### England vs Sweden

| England | Sweden |
| GK | 1 | Tim Flowers |
| DF | 2 | Warren Barton |
| DF | 24 | Colin Cooper |
| DF | 12 | Gary Pallister | 80' |
| DF | 3 | Graeme Le Saux |
| MF | 11 | Darren Anderton |
| MF | 8 | Peter Beardsley | 63' |
| MF | 7 | David Platt (c) |
| MF | 10 | John Barnes | 63' |
| FW | 9 | Alan Shearer |
| FW | 22 | Teddy Sheringham |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 18 | Nick Barmby | 63' |
| MF | 19 | Paul Gascoigne | 63' |
| DF | 5 | John Scales | 80' |
| Manager: ||
| Terry Venables ||
| GK | 1 | Thomas Ravelli (c) |
| DF | 2 | Gary Sundgren |
| DF | 15 | Teddy Lučić |
| DF | 4 | Joachim Björklund |
| DF | 14 | Pontus Kåmark |
| MF | 16 | Niclas Alexandersson |
| MF | 20 | Magnus Erlingmark | 88' |
| MF | 8 | Håkan Mild |
| MF | 19 | Niklas Gudmundsson |
| FW | 17 | Henrik Larsson |
| FW | 11 | Kennet Andersson | 85' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 21 | Dick Lidman | 85' |
| MF | 18 | Ola Andersson | 88' |
| Manager: ||
| Tommy Svensson ||

### Sweden vs Japan

| Sweden | Japan |
| GK | 1 | Thomas Ravelli (c) |
| DF | 2 | Gary Sundgren |
| DF | 15 | Teddy Lučić |
| DF | 4 | Joachim Björklund |
| DF | 14 | Pontus Kåmark |
| MF | 16 | Niclas Alexandersson |
| MF | 7 | Peter Wibrån |
| MF | 18 | Ola Andersson |
| MF | 19 | Niklas Gudmundsson | 73' |
| FW | 11 | Kennet Andersson |
| FW | 17 | Henrik Larsson |
| Substitutions: ||
| DF | 13 | Mikael Nilsson | 73' |
| Manager: ||
| Tommy Svensson ||
| GK | 22 | Kenichi Shimokawa |
| DF | 2 | Akira Narahashi | 85' |
| DF | 4 | Masami Ihara |
| DF | 5 | Tetsuji Hashiratani (c) |
| DF | 17 | Norio Omura |
| MF | 18 | Toshiya Fujita | 71' |
| MF | 6 | Motohiro Yamaguchi |
| MF | 8 | Tsuyoshi Kitazawa | 81' |
| MF | 20 | Naoki Soma |
| FW | 11 | Kazuyoshi Miura |
| FW | 9 | Hisashi Kurosaki |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 7 | Hajime Moriyasu | 71' |
| FW | 16 | Masahiro Fukuda | 81' |
| DF | 3 | Hiroshige Yanagimoto | 85' |
| Manager: ||
| Shu Kamo ||

### England vs Brazil

| England | Brazil |
| GK | 1 | Tim Flowers |
| DF | 21 | Gary Neville |
| DF | 5 | John Scales | 90' |
| DF | 24 | Colin Cooper |
| DF | 14 | Stuart Pearce |
| MF | 11 | Darren Anderton |
| MF | 4 | David Batty | 79' |
| MF | 7 | David Platt (c) |
| MF | 3 | Graeme Le Saux |
| FW | 9 | Alan Shearer | 90' |
| FW | 22 | Teddy Sheringham |
| Substitutions: ||
| MF | 19 | Paul Gascoigne | 79' |
| DF | 2 | Warren Barton | 90' |
| FW | 6 | Stan Collymore | 90' |
| Manager: ||
| Terry Venables ||
| GK | 1 | Zetti |
| DF | 2 | Jorginho |
| DF | 3 | Aldair | 89' |
| DF | 15 | Márcio Santos |
| DF | 6 | Roberto Carlos |
| MF | 8 | Dunga (c) |
| MF | 5 | César Sampaio |
| MF | 11 | Zinho |
| FW | 10 | Juninho Paulista | 84' |
| FW | 7 | Edmundo |
| FW | 9 | Ronaldo | 76' |
| Substitutions: ||
| FW | 21 | Giovanni | 76' |
| MF | 19 | Leonardo | 84' |
| DF | 4 | Ronaldão | 89' |
| Manager: ||
| Mário Zagallo ||

## Standings

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| Brazil | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | +6 | 9 |
| England | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7 | –1 | 4 |
| Sweden | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | –1 | 2 |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | –4 | 1 |