Group B
England 2, Trinidad & Tobago 0Sir Alex Ferguson called it "a wild dream", said it was "folly" and accused Sven-Goran Eriksson of a "half-baked idea."
The very thought that Wayne Rooney might play in the World Cup after breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot just six weeks before the tournament began appeared a tall order to the feisty Scot.
He now has egg on his face, while Eriksson, who has shown a new-found steely determination by standing his ground, has emerged a victor in the long-running saga.
Rooney came on with 30 minutes remaining in England's 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday, sparking a resurgence when the team was struggling at 0-0.
More importantly, he showed no signs of the injury that has captivated a nation.
"I'm extremely happy and I'm also relieved that the Rooney saga is over," Eriksson said after the match.
"It has been talked about every day. All of us in the camp are fed up with it. I hope it is the right road, but now it is over," he said.
For weeks Ferguson clearly didn't think his star striker had any chance of taking part after being stretchered off in the closing stages of Manchester United's 3-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on April 29.
Conscious that rushing Rooney back could jeopardize United's start to the new season, Ferguson called for a "realistic approach" from England.
Eriksson, though, had other ideas.
From the word go the Swede appeared confident that Rooney could play a part, saying just two days after the devastating incident that he would take him to Germany if he had any chance at all of being fit.
On May 15 he kept his word when he announced the England squad -- Rooney was in it.
For weeks speculation was rife in the British press about Rooney's progress and when pictures of him unleashing a flying scissor-kick with his injured foot appeared in newspapers on June 6, Rooney-mania went into overdrive.
Optimism surged that he would be around to boost England's chances of winning the World Cup for the first time in 40 years.
Ferguson was silent and the tension mounted as fans waited eagerly for more news.
It came on June 8 when United issued a statement saying he stood a "good chance" of being fit to play after the group stages after a scan gave him the all clear to return to Germany and stay with the squad.
Eriksson refused to rule out that he could be back earlier and the two men had a furious phone call.
Later that day the striker trained with the squad at their base camp in Baden-Baden in southern Germany, prompting the mild-mannered Eriksson to declare him "injury free."
Calls for his return intensified when England limped to a 1-0 win over Paraguay in their opening World Cup game, with Michael Owen, himself recovering from a broken foot, struggling and being substituted.
Pulses really began racing when British newspapers on Monday said he was set to make an appearance against Trinidad and Tobago.
Eriksson added fuel to the fire by announcing that Rooney, now one of the most recognizable soccer players in the world, was "match fit."
Following concerns aired by United and the Football Association, an independent medical assessment was sought and Angus Wallace and Chris Moran from the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham jetted to Germany.
The news every England fan was waiting for came just hours before kick off on Thursday -- their hero was ready to play.
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