雖然助攻斯圖里奇破門，但魯尼本場比賽看起來并不在狀態，無論是游弋到兩側還是中路，均表現不佳，還浪費了一個絕佳破門機會。

England manager Roy Hodgson has launched a staunch defence of Wayne Rooney’s performance during his side’s defeat to Italy in their World Cup opener.

據足球門戶Goal.com網站6月15日報道，英格蘭隊主帥霍奇森力挺魯尼在本場比賽的表現，稱其在球隊首戰對陣意大利的比賽中表現出色。

The Manchester United star provided the assist for Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser but was otherwise out of sorts stationed out on the left wing and missed a golden chance to earn England a point when he dragged his shot from 12 yards narrowly wide.

曼聯巨星本場比賽助攻斯圖里奇打入扳平比分一球，但自己在左路表現欠佳，還錯失一次絕佳進球機會。當時魯尼在十二碼處拔腳怒射，卻偏出門框。

Rooney has now gone nine World Cup matches without scoring a goal but Hodgson insists he still has a vital part to play ahead of a must-win encounter against Uruguay on Thursday.

本場比賽過后，魯尼的世界杯進球荒已經到達9場，但英格蘭主帥霍奇森依舊信任魯尼，將其作為關鍵球員出戰周四與烏拉圭的生死戰。

"I think it's very harsh to say he didn't look comfortable on the left," Hodgson told the BBC when it was suggested Rooney struggled on the wing.

當英國廣播公司（BBC）記者質疑魯尼本場作為邊鋒的表現時，霍奇森說道：“很難說魯尼在左路表現不佳?！?/p>

"I thought he actually did very well and set up our goal with a fine piece of play. We know we can play Wayne in many different positions and I think he has to be pretty satisfied with his performance.

“我認為魯尼表現非常出色，正是他策動了我們的進球。我們知道魯尼可以勝任多個位置，我想他也滿意今天自己的表現?！?/p>

"It's looking for things to suggest he didn't do well in that position because I think he did."

“說魯尼在左路表現不好，只是一面之詞，因為我認為他恰恰表現得非常好。”

Hodgson stressed England were unlucky to end the game empty-handed, and praised the efforts of his other attacking talents Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge and youngster Raheem Sterling.

霍奇森強調，英格蘭沒有拿到分數，結果很不幸，但他肯定了維爾貝克、斯圖里奇和小將斯特林在本場的表現。

He continued: "Raheem Sterling was very, very dangerous throughout the game. The front players in the first half; Sturridge I thought was excellent right the way through.

霍奇森說道：“斯特林給對手造成了非常非常大的威脅。上半場，斯圖里奇在右路的表現無可挑剔。”

"Welbeck had some very good moments and Steven Gerrard and Jordan Henderson did exactly what I expected of them.

“維爾貝克也有一些閃光的時候，杰拉德和亨德森完美執行了我的戰術。”

"It's a bit tough at the moment to accept we've lost the game because, especially in the second half, there were so few shots on our goal. Joe Hart has had a pretty quiet evening really and yet in the end we find ourselves having lost it.

“我們很難接受自己輸掉比賽，因為我們防守很好，尤其在下半場，我們并未讓對手獲得幾次射門的機會。喬·哈特在門線上幾乎無所事事，但最終還是我們輸了。”

"We know we played against a good team, we know Italy will be there or thereabouts so to take them so close gives us great confidence that going forward we can do well against Uruguay and Costa Rica and still progress in the tournament.

“意大利是一只出色的球隊，他們一定會順利小組出線。因此只輸給意大利一球也給了我們很大信心，英格蘭隊一定能走得更遠。我們一定會擊敗烏拉圭和哥斯達黎加，進入淘汰賽?！?/p>

England now face a Uruguay side who also lost their opening group game - a 3-1 reverse to Costa Rica - but Hodgson has backed his players to take heart from their performance heading into Thursday's clash.

三獅軍團的下一個對手烏拉圭今天也輸球了，他們1-3爆冷不敵哥斯達黎加，但是霍奇森依舊提醒球員，盡快從失利中振作起來，做好準備迎接周四與烏拉圭的強強對話。

"We are a bit down-hearted and sad the game didn't go our way. We were hoping for a perfect start. I've got great confidence we can do well enough in the next two games to qualify," he concluded.

霍奇森最后總結道：“我們期待一個完美開局，但比賽結果并不盡如人意，未免令人沮喪。但我有足夠的信心，在后兩場比賽中戰勝對手，順利出線。”

（譯者 SurpassZhao 編輯 齊磊）