Soccer Mom. The title alone puts a two-footed challenge on proper English. But thankfully the film itself is a surprisingly nimble reversal of Mrs Doubtfire.

Much credit must go to Missi Pyle, an astute comedienne who often works her unconventional looks to her advantage (see Dodgeball, Harold and Kumar 2, and Tim Burton duo Big Fish and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory).

And so it is here as she tackles the role of Wendy, a widowed mother-of-three whose terrible timekeeping puts her teenage daughter Becca (Osment, best known as Hannah Montana’s best bud Lily) in a constant huff.

To make matters worse, Becca’s soccer team have not only lost to the pampered prima donnas of the Malibu Majestics, they’ve also just lost their coach.

With Becca threatening to hang up her boots, Wendy tells the girls that she has secured the coaching services of visiting superstar Lorenzo Vincenzo (Dan Cortese): “the best soccer player in Europe… before he got injured.”

Unfortunately, Lorenzo looks and acts like a cross between Russell Brand and George Best circa 1974. Fortunately, Wendy works in a beauty salon with a brilliant make-up artist who swiftly transforms her into the Italian rapscallion.

“You can’t fool your daughter and her entire soccer team” cries her camp colleague. Maybe so, but she could probably still do a job for Newcastle United - and here in breezy comedy land all it takes is the right tracksuit and a suitably silly accent and Wendy’s Lorenzo has everyone fooled.

But as Becca’s team progress to the big rematch with the Majestics, Wendy’s frantic double act leads to confusion and complications aplenty. And that’s before the real Lorenzo shows up.

Of course it’s all about as convincing as a dive in the penalty area by Didier Drogba, but that’s the point.

Cynics may sniff, but this is a lively little benchwarmer that offers another endearingly American take on the beautiful game.

Elliott Noble