England's likely first choice team for their opening World Cup match warmed up for next month's finals with a 3-1 win over Hungary in a friendly Tuesday at Old Trafford.

Argentina beat World Cup rookies Angola 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up match played in Naples.

Argentina Players

With Wayne Rooney on the sidelines through injury, Sven-Goran Eriksson employed Steven Gerrard just off Michael Owen, and the Liverpool man joined John Terry and Reds teammate on the score sheet.

With just 11 days until England meet Paraguay in their opening match of the finals, head coach Eriksson presented his vision of how England will cope with the absence of Wayne Rooney, at least for the group stages of the tournament.

Gerrard was pushed forward into the spaces Rooney normally fills behind Michael Owen while his Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher, a center back by trade, was drafted into the midfield holding role.

Pal Dardai scored Hungary's only goal with a fine long-range strike.

"(Hungary) were even better than I thought, a good side and technically very good," Eriksson told BBC Sport.

"You must have patience against a team defending with nine men behind the ball. We had that and started the second half very well with two goals. I'm happy, and I'm sure we'll be playing even better at the World Cup."

Jamie Carragher played as a holding midfielder with David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole completing the midfield behind Gerrard and Owen.

The first 40 minutes were largely uneventful, but the game burst into life five minutes before the break.

Owen headed Beckham's cross goalward, but Kiraly saved well. Then the goalkeeper made a name for him as he saved a penalty from Lampard after Csaba Feher was judged to have brought down Gerrard.

Owen headed the rebound from the penalty onto the crossbar, and Cole hit the post after a well-timed run.

But two minutes into the second half, England took the lead as Gerrard headed home from a Beckham free-kick, and the England captain repeated the feat on 51 minutes, firing in a free-kick that John Terry headed in for his first goal for England.

Dardai curled in a superb goal for Hungary, but after that the most notable event was the introduction of Theo Walcott after 65 minutes, making the Arsenal striker, at 17 years and 75 days, England's youngest full international.

Peter Crouch, who replaced Gerrard after 65 minutes, fired home England's third goal after a neat turn to seal the victory.

(Sources: BBC, BKP)