Terry to captain England against the United States

LONDON (AP) - John Terry will captain England in its friendly against the United States.

England coach Fabio Capello, who spoke in English, made the announcement Tuesday, a day before the match at Wembley Stadium.

Capello said he made the decision before last Wednesday's Champions League final, where Terry missed the penalty kick that could have won the trophy for Chelsea over Manchester United.

"When I said to him that he would be the captain, he was very, very happy," Capello said. "It is very important to be a leader and John Terry is a leader."

Terry was named as England's permanent captain by former coach Steve McClaren when David Beckham relinquished the role after the 2006 World Cup.

However, Capello has preferred to experiment with the captaincy role since being appointed in December. He will decide on a permanent choice before World Cup qualifying starts in September.

Steven Gerrard led England in Capello's first game in charge against Switzerland in February, a 2-1 win, and Rio Ferdinand was captain for the 1-0 loss to France in March.