虽然助攻斯图里奇破门，但鲁尼本场比赛看起来并不在状态，无论是游弋到两侧还是中路，均表现不佳，还浪费了一个绝佳破门机会。

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.

据足球门户Goal.com网站6月15日报道，英格兰队主帅霍奇森力挺鲁尼在本场比赛的表现，称其在球队首战对阵意大利的比赛中表现出色。

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.

曼联巨星本场比赛助攻斯图里奇打入扳平比分一球，但自己在左路表现欠佳，还错失一次绝佳进球机会。当时鲁尼在十二码处拔脚怒射，却偏出门框。

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.

本场比赛过后，鲁尼的世界杯进球荒已经到达9场，但英格兰主帅霍奇森依旧信任鲁尼，将其作为关键球员出战周四与乌拉圭的生死战。

"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.

当英国广播公司（BBC）记者质疑鲁尼本场作为边锋的表现时，霍奇森说道：“很难说鲁尼在左路表现不佳。”

"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.

“我认为鲁尼表现非常出色，正是他策动了我们的进球。我们知道鲁尼可以胜任多个位置，我想他也满意今天自己的表现。”

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

“说鲁尼在左路表现不好，只是一面之词，因为我认为他恰恰表现得非常好。”

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.

霍奇森强调，英格兰没有拿到分数，结果很不幸，但他肯定了维尔贝克、斯图里奇和小将斯特林在本场的表现。

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.

霍奇森说道：“斯特林给对手造成了非常非常大的威胁。上半场，斯图里奇在右路的表现无可挑剔。”

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

“维尔贝克也有一些闪光的时候，杰拉德和亨德森完美执行了我的战术。”

"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.

“我们很难接受自己输掉比赛，因为我们防守很好，尤其在下半场，我们并未让对手获得几次射门的机会。乔·哈特在门线上几乎无所事事，但最终还是我们输了。”

"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队，他们一定会顺利小组出线。因此只输给意大利一球也给了我们很大信心，英格兰队一定能走得更远。我们一定会击败乌拉圭和哥斯达黎加，进入淘汰赛。”

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.

三狮军团的下一个对手乌拉圭今天也输球了，他们1-3爆冷不敌哥斯达黎加，但是霍奇森依旧提醒球员，尽快从失利中振作起来，做好准备迎接周四与乌拉圭的强强对话。

"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.

霍奇森最后总结道：“我们期待一个完美开局，但比赛结果并不尽如人意，未免令人沮丧。但我有足够的信心，在后两场比赛中战胜对手，顺利出线。”

（译者 SurpassZhao 编辑 齐磊）