Thrice Is Nice for England: Three Lions Roll to Victory in Sophia

Gary Cahill may not have seen his wish to transfer to a top English club come true, but the Bolton Wanderers defender and England international still enjoyed what will likely be one of his most memorable weeks as a footballer.

In only his first-ever start as a senior England international (his fourth cap overall), Cahill scored the opening goal against Bulgaria with an expertly taken half-volley just outside the hosts' six-yard box

The England performance mirrored the sultry, late-summer weather in the Hungarian capital. Their passing was smooth, their finishing well-executed. The players seemed to be enjoying their time on the field—a far cry from a year ago, when many criticized the England internationals for playing like they were more scared of failure than trying to nab positive results.

For a match that still had tickets available in petrol stations up and down the Hungarian motorways only days before kickoff, the spectacle was worth every penny.

Well, at least for the visiting supporters.

Bulgaria pressured England early on and dominated possession in the first 10 minutes.

They'd taken head coach Lothar Matthaus's pre-match exhortation to "play with German confidence" to heart, played some tidy football down the flanks and went hard into 50-50 challenges in the early going.

Matthaus, a former German international, likely hadn't forgotten the 5-1 thrashing England had delivered to Germany almost 10 years ago to the day. For him, this game meant a little extra.

After Cahill's goal, however, Matthaus was never going to get his revenge wish. This game had English domination stamped all over it.

A spattering of half-chances for the hosts aside, the Three Lions exerted their own blend of supreme confidence for the rest of the match.

Perhaps it was some small measure of revenge that they so thoroughly dominated a German-led side, only 14 months removed from that humiliating 4-1 loss to Germany in the 2010 World Cup Round of 16.

Wayne Rooney, whose well-documented struggles in last summer's competition were a huge talking point, had no such trouble Friday, transferring the fine run of goal-scoring form he's enjoyed with Manchester United this season to the national side.

He notched his 27th goal as a senior international in the 21st minute, heading in a lofted Stewart Downing corner.

Rooney would get his 28th in first half stoppage time, coolly slotting home from six yards out after a wonderfully comprehensive passing movement from his teammates—something that's been lacking from English performances in recent memory.

With a 3-0 result the latest testimonial, this has been another strong qualifying campaign for England manager Fabio Capello, who presided over the Three Lions' stroll to the 2010 World Cup.

The iconic Italian skipper will have been on the job four years come December, and he has announced that he will retire from international football after next summer's European championships.

His tenure has seen him earn decidedly mixed reviews. But then, for a man earning a salary upwards of £4.8 million a year at the helm of one of the most distinguished national sides in the world, top results are the expectation.

Taking over in the muddy aftermath of Steve McLaren's failure to secure qualification for Euro 2008, Capello immediately restored England to a major tournament, making it look like a power along the way.

Yet that incredibly disappointing performance in last year's World Cup has not been forgotten.

A 1-1 draw to the U.S., a dour 0-0 deadlock against Algeria and a narrow 1-0 victory against Slovenia saw England slump to second place in their group (behind America.)

The side looked stagnant and bereft of ideas, save for a vintage Steven Gerrard goal against the Americans.

That blip of confidence aside, the Germany match was the true nadir of the tournament, and it sounded a shrill alarm.

The swashbuckling, stylistic performance by Die Mannschaft's collection of young talent cut a stark contrast to the labored effort put forth by an aging English side that looked positively cooked after yet another grueling Premier League campaign.

To his credit, Capello made adjustments after last summer, and has begun integrating some of England's distinguished young talent into the national team fold.

19-year-old Arsenal stalwart Jack Wilshere, out with an ankle injury against Bulgaria, has led the youth invasion.

He is but one of the talented youngsters who has gotten a shot in the new setting—Ashley Young has also seen significant time on the left wing, and should soon have a stranglehold on the position, should his scintillating domestic form continue unabated. Even Chris Smalling got a start at right-back against Bulgaria.

It was perhaps most telling that Frank Lampard did not start on Friday, marking the first time the Chelsea midfielder had not been in the starting 11 for an England competitive match since a 2-1 Euro '08 qualifying loss in Russia four years ago this October.

Despite his extensive, accomplished CV as a manager, Capello has not been shy to borrow from Sir Alex Ferguson's philosophy.

Just as Fergie consistently builds successful United sides through a brilliant mix of steely experience and talented youth, Capello appears ready to employ the same dynamic with the Three Lions.

Should it result in more convincing 3-0 victories like the one Friday night, I doubt too many people would complain.