Alexandersson celebrates his equaliser (Allsport).

Final Score: England 1 Sweden 1

Man of the match: Niclas Alexandersson. As the Swedes took control in the second half, Alexandersson was at the centre of all of their good work. His busy performance saw him overshadow the likes of Beckham, Scholes and Ljungberg while his goal was a quality finish.

90 min: It's all over. England have begun their World Cup campaign with a draw. They started well but were poor in the second half as the Swedes took charge.

90 min: Larsson flashes a shot across goal after Ashley Cole miskicks.

90 min: Two more minutes to go.

90 min: Ashley Cole breaks forward and shoots, but it's way off target.

90 min: There will be four minutes of added time at the end of the match.

90 min: Mills' cross from the right finds Heskey but his header - under pressure from Mellberg - is off target.

88 min: The ball is deep in England territory as they struggle to break the shackles.

86 min: Ashley Cole breaks past two players in the middle but his slid ball through to Owen is blocked, then cleared, by Jakobsson.

85 min: Seaman punches the corner as far as Alexandersson and Hargreaves is on hand to hack the subsequent shot clear.

84 min: Andersson continues to look lively and he forces a corner down the left.

83 min: Andersson breaks into the England box but Campbell and Seaman combine well to hack the ball clear.

82 min: The flag-kick is wasted as Mjallby's effort drifts off target.

81 min: Andersson is straight into the action as he forces a corner down the right for Sweden.

80 min: Sweden bring Andreas Andersson on for Allback.

78 min: Mills gets space down the right but his cross clears everyone except Ashley Cole, but he can't divert it goalwards.

77 min: Svensson breaks out of midfield and gets a shot away which forces Seaman to save down to his right.

76 min: Joe Cole has his first meaningful action as he breaks forward and cuts from the left. The shot at the end is poor, though, as it's straight at Hedman.

75 min: The match has turned a little scrappy now as both sides fight for the advantage.

74 min: England bring Joe Cole on for Vassell.

73 min: Dyer clips the free-kick in but it's easily cleared by Sweden before Cole concedes a free-kick cheaply.

72 min: Vassell breaks down the inside left channel and is pulled down by Jakobsson. The Swede goes into the book for a cynical foul.

71 min: Ljungberg half-connects with Allback's weak shot but he can not get any power behind it and Seaman saves well.

70 min: After a period of quiet on the field, Owen cuts in from the left and shoots low but it nestles in the side netting as opposed to the bottom corner.

67 min: Mills gives the ball away deep in the Sweden half then fouls Ljungberg as he tries to track back.

66 min: Cole heads out a deep cross from the left. But his header goes astray and Linderoth powers on to it. His stunning drive sails just over the bar.

64 min: Hedman does well to punch clear a Heskey cross from the left under pressure from Owen. He sets Sweden on the attack and Seaman has to race out from goal to block Lucic's goalbound shot.

63 min: Dyer is on for Beckham, who has struggled since half-time.

63 min: Jakobsson has to tackle back well to halt Vassell for an England throw down the left.

62 min: Kieron Dyer is stripped and ready for action.

61 min: Larsson heads the ball down to Lucic at the edge of the box and his shot forces a good save from Seaman, who plunges to his right.

59 min: GOAL - ALEXANDERSSON. Mills attempts to chest the ball back to Seaman in his own area but the ball falls short and he has to tackle back to clear. It bounces straight to Alexandersson who knocks it on to his favoured left foot and drills home. That swerved viciously past Seaman.

57 min: Vassell is penalised for pulling down Mellberg.

56 min: Alexandersson's cross from the right finds Ljungberg but his acrobatic shot is mistimed. The ball rebounds out for a goal-kick.

55 min: Svensson is into the action, replacing his namesake Magnus.

54 min: Sweden have Anders Svensson on the touchline.

53 min: Allback's dangerous cross from the right is hacked clear by Heskey. The ball is pumped straight back in to the England area and Campbell clears.

51 min: Ferdinand and Allback collide in the England penalty area as both break for the ball. The decision goes England's way for Allback's shirt-pulling. That really could have gone either way.

50 min: Mellberg drifts a free-kick over from deep on the right-hand side, but Larsson's header is off target.

49 min: Mills comes across well from right-back to halt a dangerous run from Ljungberg down the middle.

48 min: Vassell shows good skill down the left before switching it to Mills on the right. He breaks into the box but his left-footed cross is smuggled clear.

47 min: Sweden build well in the England half, with Ljungberg laying it in to Allback. His left foot shot from 20 yards is always drifting over.

46 min: The first free-kick of the half goes England's way as Allback is penalised for backing into Campbell.

46 min: Sweden get us underway in the second half.

HT: England 1 Sweden 0.

45 min: That's half-time. England lead thanks to Campbell's goal and they deserve their half-time advantage. They've been a bit sloppy in possession towards the end of the half, but Sweden have rarely threatened.

45 min: Mjallby looks long over the top but Allback is pulled up for fouling Ferdinand. Allback slams the ball into the ground in frustration and is booked for his show of dissent.

45 min: The fourth official signals there will be two minutes of added time at the end of the half.

45 min: Vassell cleverly wins a free-kick on halfway, with Alexandersson the man who fouled him in the centre.

44 min: Allback takes the ball down well in the area but his snapshot is off target. Ferdinand did well to close him down there.

43 min: Sweden build patiently at the back but as they look to get the ball to their strikers, the pass goes astray.

42 min: Ljungberg tries to play in Allback but Campbell gets a foot in to halt the Aston Villa-bound striker.

41 min: Cole shows composure down the left to halt Ljungberg and clear.

40 min: Sweden are looking frustrated and are knocking long, hopeful balls from the back which Campbell and Ferdinand are mopping up.

39 min: Svensson clips the ball in to Allback whose first-time shot forces Seaman into his first save.

39 min: Beckham's free-kick finds Ferdinand at the back post but his header is off target.

39 min: Heskey powers down the left flank and his cross in earns England a corner.

38 min: Cole has a shot from long range but Hedman is equal to the task.

37 min: Mills breaks and knocks the ball to where he thinks Beckham should be, but it drifts out of play.

36 min: Beckham plays the ball out to Vassell on the left but Mellberg nicks it off his club-mate and Mjallby completes the clearance.

35 min: Heskey drills the ball in from the left but Owen has strayed offside.

34 min: Ljungberg helps the ball over the top in a bid to find Marcus Allback but it skips off the turf and Seaman claims.

33 min: Heskey flicks on Seaman's long punt forward but it's straight into Hedman's arms.

31 min: Beckham clips the ball over the top for Vassell, who forces a throw deep in Swedish territory.

30 min: Niclas Alexandersson's cross from the right sails well over Seaman's goal.

29 min: Larsson curls in the free-kick but it is never troubling Seaman as it slips three yards wide of the right-hand post.

28 min: Ferdinand is penalised for a foul on Larsson. The England appeals against the decision are waved away, so Sweden have a free-kick 35 yards out centrally.

26 min: Mills powers forward down the right but his speculative shot is easily blocked and Lucic clears.

24 min: GOAL - CAMPBELL. Beckham whips the flag-kick over and Campbell climbs in the middle to head home from six yards with Hedman flapping. That's the Arsenal defender's first international goal.

24 min: Heskey chips it forward to Cole, who is overlapping down the left. He forces a corner on that flank.

23 min: Campbell tosses the ball forward from deep but Mellberg beats Heskey in the air down the left flank.

21 min: Beckham sprays the ball into the Sweden area but Hedman races out to deny Vassell.

20 min: Heskey puts Scholes in trouble with a short ball but the Manchester United man cleverly earns a free-kick.

19 min: Mills draws a free-kick from Tobias Linderoth down the right after latching on to Beckham's ball down the line.

18 min: The England physio comes on to treat Vassell, who has clashed heads with Aston Villa team-mate Olof Mellberg.

17 min: The flag-kick pings around the England area but a stray header from Campbell is well grasped by Seaman.

16 min: Emile Heskey has to track back to concede a corner down the Sweden right.

15 min: Hargreaves powers down the left and slides it in to Vassell. He turns and tries to find Owen but the ball is cleared by Lucic.

14 min: Beckham spreads the play from right to left to Cole, who cuts in from his flank and looks to slide in Owen. The Liverpool striker has just strayed offside, though.

13 min: Rio Ferdinand tracks back well to hold off Larsson and head the ball back to Seaman.

12 min: England are happy to keep possession deep and Seaman is having plenty of touches as the defenders keep him involved.

11 min: Campbell misses a header then fouls Larsson on the edge of the box. The referee waves play on as Sweden have possession but as soon as they lose it the referee pulls back play to book Campbell.

10 min: Teddy Lucic drills in the free-kick but Sol Campbell heads clear comfortably.

10 min: Ljungberg wins a free-kick from Mills down the Sweden left.

8 min: Henrik Larsson floats over a cross from the right but it's a poor one as it sails straight out of play behind Seaman's goal.

8 min: Hargreaves has looked good on the ball in the early stages. He seems to have settled straight away.

6 min: Vassell shows good control to force a throw in the right corner.

5 min: Vassell and Beckham tangle with Johan Mjallby down the right and force a throw. Mills gets a cross over but Andreas Jakobsson clears before Owen can connect.

4 min: Seaman gets his first touch as he punts the ball downfield to Owen.

3 min: Owen latches on to a loose ball and looks to knock the ball through to his strike partner Vassell. He's passed it too far though, and Magnus Hedman claims.

2 min: Mills is getting forward well in the early stages and he links with Owen but his cross is poor.

1 min: Owen turns well in centre field but Ljungberg quickly closes him down. Beckham and Danny Mills link well down the right, but the latter's cross is blocked at the front post.

0 min: England get things underway in front of a noisy crowd in Saitama. The England fans are in good voice.

Pre-match: Sven-Goran Eriksson hasn't sprung any surprises. David Beckham takes his role as captain in the midfield after recovering from a broken bone in his foot, and David Seaman returns in goal.

Up front Darius Vassell gets the call to partner Michael Owen, while Owen Hargreaves gets the nod to partner Paul Scholes in central midfield.

For Sweden Freddie Ljungberg has passed a fitness test and starts, but the news isn't so good for defender Patrik Andersson. He was injured in training on Saturday and misses out.