1. England 5-1 Croatia 9th September 2009
England secured their place at the 2010 World Cup with this emphatic demolition of Slaven Bilic's Croatia. Inspired by vintage displays from Gerrard and Lampard, the Three Lions produced their best performance during the Capello era. Aaron Lennon caused the Croatian defence constant problems, which seemed unable to cope with the winger's blistering pace. The Tottenham wide man picked up two assists on the night, a performance which would see Lennon picked ahead of Walcott for the tournament's final 23 man squad. The victory also dispelled the on-going myth that Gerrard and Lampard cannot play together. The midfield duo were superb on the night, with both players finding the net twice as the English media praised Capello for finally finding a solution to a previously problematic situation. The performance was rounded off with a goal from Rooney, who was enjoying one of his best seasons for Manchester United. Playing in the lone striker role, for club and country, Rooney flourished in 2010 and finished the season with an impressive 34 goals in 44 games for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.
The 9th September was the night when it all clicked for Capello and the victory had fans dreaming of success in South Africa.