England take 3-0 lead into half-time

Niigata, Japan - England took a 3-0 lead over Denmark into halftime of their second-round World Cup match on Saturday with goals from Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Emile Heskey.

Each side started patiently in the round of 16 before England took a surprise lead in the fifth minute.

David Beckham sent in a twisting corner from the left that defender Ferdinand headed for the goal. The ball bounced off the turf and into the arms of Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, who bobbled the easy save and directed the ball across the goal line.

England made it 2-0 in the 22nd as Owen scored his first goal of the World Cup finals. Trevor Sinclair and Nicky Butt combined on a quick 1-2 passing combination with the ball going to Owen, who left-footed it home from 8 metres to the left of a diving Sorensen.

Emile Heskey took it to 3-0 in the 44th, scoring on a low, skidding shot from 18 metres off a Beckham pass.

Denmark's hopes were damaged when defender Thomas Helveg was carried off in the 7th with a head injury and replaced by Kasper Bogelund.

Denmark had its best scoring chance in the first half when Ebbe Sand weaved through the goal area in the 27th and then twisted a 12-meter (yard) shot that went just wide to the left of England 'keeper David Seaman.

England fans completely outnumbered a few hundred Danish fans in the 42 000-seat Big Swan Stadium. Some 10 000 England fans were joined by thousands of Japanese wearing England colors.

The winner faces either Brazil or Belgium on Friday in the quarterfinals. Brazil and Belgium play Monday in Kobe, Japan.

Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, who has four goals in the finals, started despite a groin injury. Injured midfielder Stig Toefting also started. He has a foot injury.

England's Swedish coach Sven-Goran Eriksson started the team that played in the 0-0 draw with Nigeria, which clinched a place in the second round.

The match started in cool conditions with heavy rain falling after about 30 minutes.

Lineups:

Denmark:

1 Thomas Sorensen

2 Stig Toefting

3 Rene Henriksen (c)

4 Martin Laursen

6 Thomas Helveg (20 Kasper Bogelund 7)

7 Thomas Gravesen

8 Jesper Gronkjaer

9 Jon Dahl Tomasson

11 Ebbe Sand

12 Niclas Jensen

19 Dennis Rommedahl.

England:

1 David Seaman

2 Danny Mills

3 Ashley Cole

4 Trevor Sinclair

5 Rio Ferdinand

6 Sol Campbell

7 David Beckham (c)

8 Paul Scholes

10 Michael Owen

11 Emile Heskey

21 Nicky Butt.

Referee: Markus Merk, Germany.

- Sapa-AP