The world's top soccer players gave vastly contrasting performances when the curtain rose on the opening night of the international season on Wednesday.

With the serious matter of World Cup qualifying restarting for the major teams in just over two weeks time, Wednesday's matches were the last chance for coaches to fine tune their teams in their final dress rehearsals.

England [Images] coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, however, was left fuming as his team forgot their well-rehearsed lines and corpsed out of control to fall to their country's biggest defeat for 25 years.

England's multi-millionaires lost 4-1 to Denmark in Copenhagen, the country's worst defeat since losing by the same score to Wales in May 1980.

Ironically, they meet Wales in their next qualifier in Cardiff on September 3 and their World Cup hopes will be badly harmed if they allow themselves to be outclassed in a similar fashion again.

Wales, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Slovenia in the first international in Swansea for 17 years in a match played at Swansea's New Stadium, dedicated to the memory of their greatest ever player John Charles who died in February last year.

ZIDANE RETURNS

But while England were floundering, one old master came back to centre-stage proving he had not lost any of his remarkable stagecraft.

Zinedine Zidane [Images] ended his 14-month international retirement to help France [Images] to a 3-0 win over Ivory Coast in Montpellier. William Gallas and Thierry Henry [Images], both enjoyed the night too -- scoring on what was the 28th birthday for both men.

World champions Brazil [Images] fielded a strong side and dominated in a 1-1 draw in Croatia, Argentina, already assured of a place in the finals, won 2-1 in Hungary, while 2006 tournament hosts Germany [Images] came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with arch-rivals The Netherlands in Rotterdam.

That result leaves Germany still without a win against one of the world's top sides for 15 matches and nearly five years, but the night could have been much worse for Juergen Klinsmann's men after Arjen Robben put the Dutch 2-0 up after 46 minutes.

Goals from Michael Ballack [Images] (49) and Gerald Asamoah (81) gave Germany a respectable draw.

Italy [Images] also underlined their intentions to be in Germany next year with a well-deserved and hard-fought 2-1 win over Ireland in their friendly in Dublin with goals from Andrea Pirlo and Alberto Gilardino.

FACE FRANCE

Ireland currently top Group Four, the tightest of all in European qualifying, and will be looking for a better outcome when they face France in Dublin next month.

Sweden, involved in a close race with Croatia to win Group Eight, had a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Gothenburg in a match notable for the goalscoring return of Henrik Larsson [Images], back after a long injury layoff.

The shock result of the night, however, came in Copenhagen where England had never previously lost in seven meetings with Denmark dating back to 1948.

They collapsed in seven second-half minutes as Dennis Rommedahl (60), Jon Dahl Tomasson (63) and Michael Gravgaard (67) scored. Even after Wayne Rooney [Images] hit a consolation for England three minutes from time, Soren Larsen scored a fourth for the Danes in stoppage time.

England's Swedish coach Eriksson said afterwards he was angry, disappointed because after a good first half the second half was a disaster.

"You can always lose football games, I've always said that, but not in the way we lost in the second half. If we play like that again we will not qualify for the World Cup finals."

The result was a huge boost for Denmark who face matches against Turkey and Georgia next month as they bid to finish second in Group Two behind almost-certain winners Ukraine.

Ukraine had a 2-1 win over Serbia and Montenegro in Kiev while Turkey lost 3-1 to Bulgaria and European champions Greece appeared no closer to signs of improvement after a dismal spell with a 2-0 defeat in Belgium.

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