Robert Green : Blunder Was Caused By Jabulani!

England goalkeeper Robert Green blamed the official World Cup ball for the gaffe which saw the side held to a draw in their opening match of the World Cup.

The West Ham shot stopper had appeared well-placed to save Clint Dempsey’s speculative long-range effort on 40 minutes – but the ball spilled inexplicably out of his hands and into the net.

Yet Green claimed the ball’s unpredictable swerving flight meant it swerved away from his hands and hit one of his outstretched thumbs, resulting in the ball popping out of his hands and trickling into the net.

“It’s one that you’d save 999 times out of a thousand, but that’s the way it is,” said Green.

“You accept it and move on.

“It’s done, it happened. It’s not something you can allow to affect yourself.