Rooney lost us that game, but you have to say we got what we deserved, really. We’ve been shit all tournament. Needed to step it up today and just failed to do so. Beckham shouldn’t even be in the team anymore nevermind be captain, and even my relentless positivity on here couldn’t force the right result.
The sad thing is that when Rooney lost his temper, we were starting to take control of the game (after a truly dire first half). Lennon was excellent, and needs to start from now on. We really could have won that: Lennon was starting to have his way down the right, and with half an hour of feeding it through to Rooney, you have to like our chances. Rooney’s a great, great player, but he has to sort his temper out.
Such a shame Lennon didn’t get more playing time… his half hour today is one of the few positives England can take from the whole tournament. Cheerio DB.
Blessing in disguise, really: Brazil would have absolutely ripped us to pieces. At least this way we can have somewhat of a sense of injustice, rather than the complete humiliation a decent team would have dished out.
https://kaimac.wordpress.com/2006/07/03/how-do-germany-beat-italy/
Kai MacMahon: On Life, The Universe & Everything 
I am not so sure that Rooney should have been sent off, looked to me like he stepped on Carvalho by accident trying to keep his footing, the fact that he had been fouled at least twice in the previous three seconds by two portugal players and the ref saw nothing was a bit off. Also I dont think the ref had any intention other than awarding a foul until that little shit Ronaldo came running up and demanded it. Had the front to wink at the bench at the Portugal bench after the ref carded Rooney too. Unfortunately mate I reckon Ronaldo will be leaving MU this summer he will get booed at every game.
Rooney stepped back towards his nuts, rather than away from them. Looked so-so the first time, but watching it again it looked to me like he meant it. Either way, to raise his hands like that is just fucking stupid.
As for Ronaldo… agree to an extent, but England players would have done the same had the tables been turned. He was heading off to the Bernabeau either way, I think.
EDIT: just watched it again, and there’s no doubt in my mind he knew what he was doing. Not a full-on stamp, per se, but he definitely stood on his bollocks.
At last the pain is over. Personally I’m sick of the short term memory of all the so called pundits who have followed England’s woeful performances throughout this competition. It’s so easily forgotten just how crap each performance has been, it’s about time that England faced up to the fact that they simply can’t cut it at this level……bad tactics, underperforming players, corporate egghead masquerading as a soccer coach, good riddance. Here’s to Middlesborough style 4-4-2 doggerel to be dished out for Euro 2008 courtesy of McLaren. At least we know where we are with a dishcloth coach with the guile and imagination of a guppy.
Yours,
Mr I A M Guppy
I agree to an extent, but I really think this England team had the potential to do something decent, I really do. Just as they started to get hold of the game Rooney gets the card.
Maybe McClaren will surprise us all?
McClaren was supposed to be the tactical brains behind SGE management, I think we will see even more cluelessness. Frankly disgusted with England’s performance throughout this world cup and actually in the run up to. I predict a Graham Tayloresque wandering navel gaze into the wilderness before the FA finally gets a clue and employs someone with the brains, the passion and the balls to deal with the English media, drop pretty boy talismen when they underperform or get them to perform again and get England working as a unit.
I thought the defence looked solid for this game after the first 10 minutes, but we should have had the game sewn up 2-0 before Rooney walked, Gerrard, Becks and Lampard all failed to live up to their reputations.
Agree about the defense, but they hardly had much to contend with today, wouldn’t you say? If Deco had been playing we’d have been shredded.
Also agree about the three midfielders you mention, too. Should be the end of Becks’ international career. The other two are supposed to be world class players… not done themselves any favors at all over the last couple of weeks. Anonymous is about as complimentary as I can be.
At least your team had guts in the field during the battle. England players were heroes during 120 minutes. If you had the unpleasant experience of seeing Brazil against France you would blame much more. There were no magic square, just a bunch of assholes. Cafu go to hell. Roberto Carlos please join him. Look at the England heroes and learn how to behave in a battle.
From Sad Brazilian
Yeah, your guys were pretty bad today too, it has to be said. Pretty surprised that Ronaldinho did so little… he was just about invisible. I was disappointed in Adriano, too. Even so I’m very surprised you lost to France, I really am.
At least you’ve won a few recently to cheer you up though. And there’s always the Brazil ladies team to fall back on , eh:
I’d say Hargreaves was really impressive and rose to the occasion after Rooney went off, deservedly man of the match. On a side note, Ballack’s form really makes Lampard look mediocre and it’s pretty fun to think about how Mourinho’s going to manage his midfield.
England should stop looking at the world cup as a prolongement of the Empire and the 2nd world war. The Lingo in connection with the World Cup in English papers just takes it over the top. When England starts taking it like a soccer tournament, and not a war, they’ll win it every time.
The England team had potential – but it was unrealized. Potential isn’t enough. Frankly, their matches to date were not much to write home about, so I don’t know why everyone is so shocked even if you feel sorry for them. They need to do better to win. It’s as simple as that. Rooney deserved to be sent off – he was sent off for stamping. He needs to grow up, as he is immature. Our team needs to learn to play as a close knit TEAM, not as highly paid individual players.
With the exception of Joe Cole’s volley, Rooney kicking Carvalho in the balls was the best shot England had the entire tournament, and was for me the highlight of a totally unimpressive run of games. Yeah, we failed to impress again… we have the talent, but they always seems so friggin nervous, personally I think we need to develop a more attacking mentality. A final note, the whole goddam competition has been singularly unimpressive. A friend of mine in upstate New York wrote me the other day and said, ‘I’m the coach of my daughters soccer team now, so I’ve been watching a lot of the World Cup matches, I’m trying to figure out specifically how the off side rule works and why these guys spend so much time rolling around on the floor when they’ve hardly been tackled….’.. yeah, me too. The one loop hole that remains in the game at this level for me, is the lack of an instant reply for the to support the ref’s decision making process. With so much on the line, how can we still be relying on a best guess when these decisions can mean so much, an instant reply might stop a few of these crying wankers that try to take advantage of the refs blind side to force a decision they dont deserve.
We are the best team of the tournament!! GO PORTUGAL! We are the best!!!!!!!!!!!
PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL, PORTUGAL,PORTUGAL
England is very poor! England´s best payer is Gerard!! The rest is garbage!!!
GO PORTUGAL, let´s defet France!
THEY RE COMING HOME THEY RE COMING HOME, THEY RE COMING, ENGLAND’S COMING HOME!
Antbin – He was very good against portugal, but one swallow doesn’t make a summer.
Geirsan – couldn’t agree more. The jingoistic rubbish that surrounds every tournament is incredibly tedious.
Britgirl – spot on. Not only were they not anything to write home about, I’d say they were the worst performances of any of the big teams, with the exception perhaps of Italy and France. They at least turned it on against their knockout opposition.
Rantingbrit – agree with most of that, but either way this England team just underperformed, pure and simple. Can’t blame anyone else, lack of replays, bad refs etc. End of the day, we had eleven shots yesterday to their 26. What would they have done do us if they’d had their first choice 11 out? Doesn’t bear thinking about.
Bata – it’s your grace in victory that’s impressed me most 😉 That and the rolling around on the floor of course. I really hope it’s not you against Italy in the final.
Denver – nothing gets past you, eh?
Oh well, becks has quit as captain, which might be his way of admitting its time for changes. It was the right thing to do and I am admire the fact he took the decsion himself rather than cause problems with the media baying for him to be relieved of the position. John Terry and Steven Gerrard will no doubt duke it out, either of who are good choices, I cant actually decide which I prefer, though I am inclined towards Gerrard to try and get the emphasis put towards offence.
I have to confess that this whole “Ronaldo tricked the ref onto sending Rooney for a early bath” is quite ridiculous. Of course, it was not a stomp, for I doubt the kid would be THAT stupid, with the referee 2 meters away, but he clearly stepped on Ricardo’s crotch and gave Ronaldo a little push. Of course he was crying for a foul. What did you expect him to do? Applaud his ManUtd colleague? That fact that some keep insisting on that only shows what a sore-loser is. If the same had happened with you, you’d be houling for the whole portuguese team to be expelled from international football.
In good truth, none of the teams played a decent football. Portugal is miles away from its usual sleak, mobile football (although we are finally getting some success, I have to admit) and England is clearly not as good as the english media try to convey. Of course, it has some of the best individual players in the world, but has always lacked as a team. These last few games (that you won marginally, mainly via set-pieces) are a show of that.
Portugal was lacking Deco, a true playmaker, around which Portugal’s pace is set, and Costinha, a classy anchor, which albeit being not in top form (if on form at all) would not be as permeable as Petit. A 34 year old Figo that ran like hell for the whole WC -so far – so far and a bruised Ronaldo were the team you faced.
No one was expecting a good game, but a practical one. Perhaps you thought that, suddenly, the english lions would waken from the mediocrity so far and completely anihilate the poor portuguese? Of coursem that was not due to happen.
First, becuase there are no bad teams this far, and because – although technically superior – you have clearly, once more, underestimated your opponent. I mena, look at your media. All you see is focused in English performance / underperformance. The others are either invariably inept or win by trickery and foulplay. And this, I fear, is a constantm since I rememeber watching english football. Were it 3 englishman that failed their spot kicks yesterday, or a portuguese that defended the lot?
Admittedly, they were not looking confident, and Ricardo was, but why is there no reference to his brilliant penalty defending anywhere I look?
Is it enough to blame it on Rooney / Ronaldo and to deem as “heroic” a game (an ugly one) for a couple of missed shots and a lot of defending throughtout the rest of it?
Where does the problem lie?
In any case, my best wishes to my “second” team, which, fortunately or not, had to face my “first” team yet again. And my regards for the blog,
kaimac
The cad Eriksson should have left Walcott at home.
Mourato – some great points there. My only criticism of the Portguese side is the diving and play acting. It’s by no means yours alone, but you are pretty serious offenders, both in international and club football. You have a very skillful team, and I’ve certainly seen you play nice flowing attacking football, but more often I’ve seen you play chippy, nasty cynical football. Eusebio wouldn’t like that style of play, I don’t think.
Credit where credit is due though: you have some awesome players, Figo and Deco in particular. And Ricardo was absolutely outstanding yesterday: definitely one of the performances of the tournament.
I want the team that wins the tournament, whoever it is, to do so playing nice attractive attacking football.
The problem with England, put simply, is that they’re not a team. Great individuals but no team. Until they start to play as one, we’ll never win anything.
There are many many things wrong with the england team – as i see it. Amongst others:
1. Keeper – Paul Robinson is not, and will never be world class.
He had a decent game on saturday, but he still seems unsure when a decision has to be made – and did anyone even expect him to save a penalty?
Admittedly, there’s no-one else who’s breathing down his neck for the No.1 jersey, but i would have much preferred to have David James face the Portugese in the shootout.
2. Star names – Certain players, are undroppable – either because of the inevitable media savaging (Lampard/Gerrard) or the manager’s vested interests (Beckham). More emphasis should be put on form.
3. Philosophy – Lets pick a style & stick to it. Then pick the best team possible to play that style.
From a young age, English footballers have been taught about pace, attacking wingplay, aerial balls, & attacking midfielders arriving late in the box, so LETS PLAY 4-4-2. Pure 4-5-1 is about intricate interplay – short passes to feet, playing around the opposition. English football isn’t this way, and won’t be so long as we herald the 40 yard pass over the shoulder and denounce a series of quick continental rat-tat-tat passes as “trying to pass the ball into the net”.
At the moment, we’re picking the “best” players, and allowing that choice to determine the formation/style of our play.
4. Penalties – So we lose on penaties. Again? Again! Psychological penalty training for all england players! How is it that the Germans score every penalty? They say that you cannot recreate the pressure of a penalty shoot-out, but with help you can prepare for it mentally.
5. We have to clear up the confusion between whether we want to play well, or win games. It’s said that good teams play badly and still win. This is true, but if a team always plays badly, they aren’t a good team – and they won’t win titles or tournaments. Playing consistently well is the mark of a good team, and is the well which victories spring from. Making yourself “hard to beat” isn’t enough.
So the best crop of English players for a generation go out in the quarter finals of a world cup, having only played 45 mins of decent football to get there.
Clearly, all is not well with the England team. However Brian Barwick & Steve McClaren will deal with the symptoms, not the desease, and the malaise will continue.
Hargraves was very very good. But of course he is actually Canadian.
sb- the germans score on every penalty because they study thier opposition much better then most. The are very German about it. I think that England need to have a few more players playing in different countries. It would allow them to gain different experience in different playing styles versus different types of opposition.
Steve Maclaren is already guilty by association. Either he agreed with the idiotic squad selection, lack of tactics and substitutions. Or he disagreed and was overruled. The media campaign to oust him has already started.
I know we should all really get over it and get on with our exciting lives… but I’ll be dipped in shit, if it isn’t an Englishmans prerogative to have a good moan about how terrible we have it, now we’re empireless and can’t even get away with giving a guy a swift kick in the balls, what the hell is football coming to?
…but it burns a little, doesn’t it? Yeah Rooney was wrong, anybody with two eyes who was the least bit sober by that point could see that what he did was intentional; but after watching Holland and Portugal square up during a 12 round farce of a game and Argentian players trying to lynch their coach whilst still on the field…the fact that Rooney has until Thursday to respond to FIFA’s disciplinary board about this ‘incident’ is laughable.
If the’Swiss Bankers’ at FIFA really want to put their house in order, there are a long list of issues they need to deal with before they get to Rooney… Prozac anyone…?
I’m kind of new to this whole blogging thing, but it is a lot of fun. I have no idea how to promote my own site, so if you would allow a blatant plug… 🙂 please come on over to my site and join the discussion (which at the moment is one that I’m having with myself… due to a lack of visitors…). Thanks. RB
Oh yeah… on your respone to Bata’s comment… Portugal v Italy would be an absoloute classic, they might have to draft in a few more stretcher bearers though.
Neglected to leave my link in the last post.. its http://rantingbrit.wordpress.com ….Come on over and say Hi… Thanks. RB
Re: Penalties – i just think the English players deal with the fear & pressure of shootouts badly.
Maybe it’s because of the weight of expectation on their shoulders.
Maybe it’s because we’ve lost penalty shoot-outs so many times before they feel it’s half-lost before a ball’s been kicked.
Maybe it’s because the keeper has psyched them out & they can’t decide which side to go to.
Maybe it’s because everyone remembers chris waddle skying it in ’90, and players are concentrating on ‘just hitting the target’.
Who knows; however results speak for themselves & we keep missing penalties.
If players took anything approaching their best penalty, we’d be in the semis. But they didn’t – they crumbled. Again.
We have to sort this out…
England lost ?
Why make an puzzle upon an simples answer :
Portugal won, because they where better .
In mind, work, tatical, and so on.
Why make it complicated ? Whay sutch lack of fair play in acceping that England worked out worst ? An freud complex of supperiority ?I suppose that, we are in 2006 , XXI , or is something missing ?
errr… Ok…let me see if I’ve got this right….
It’s a Freudian supperiority complex, and a lack of fair play…(Kafka obviously didnt see the Portugal v Holland game… I wonder what Freud would have had to say about that…?) to discuss the shortcomings of the England team during the World Cup; (on a blog which exists at this moment in time, if I’m not mistaken, as a forum for a discussion of World Cup issues), because it’s 2006 and the 21st Century….?
I take it you are talking about Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and father of psychoanalysis…. and not Albert Freud, the notorious pisshead who collects glasses and ashtrays down the Pig and Whistle and who has a predilection for sex with farmyard animals?
Although I’m sure you are refering to the former… it sounds as though you have been listening to the latter…..
Luv and hugs… RB
Hello Rantingbrit
U should´a know, that Kafk is an deep endelless spiral !!
I think your problem , can easely be solved : its quite simple, in fair play, the acception that ” not winning” is an “bone” in fair plays idea…
I bealive that its more simple for u to understand rather then explaning Albert Freud , that u seem to care so mutch !
Still, i´m sorry , but , in this blog its not possible to sent pictures in order to simplify things to u !!
U ask me if i remeber Holand-Portugal ? Thats for shure!!I remeber !!
I remeber a game, where the referee had lack of courage in order to show an red card for agression at the beginning of the game..than..he lost control !!And ..yes, the only injury player , victim of deliberated agression, was the Portuguese player !! Against facts..there is nothing to discuss..althought in an ” blind kingdom the one eye is an king “…so, everybody is free to blind its own mind in order to make its particular tragic-comedy !! So, be welcome chose what ever pleases u !!Don not worry in getting sun protection as it seems to me , that u shall be in an lack of light…
By the way, if u see captain Cook, please ask him to deliver the bidimensional maps of Australia, to its right owner !!Ok ? Jolly good !!
Best regards
Carpe diem
Albert…! It is you isn’t it…?
You’re making progress by recognizing that you are in a deep endless spiral, thats a start… but the sheep Albert… leave the sheep alone, please!
Lady queen
U trully have an fetish !!
About the spiral, u may try to read something from kafka . Who knows, and the readings may deliver u some harmony, and get rid of your animal fetish !!