Unfancied England pays the penalty
Source: AFP |
June 26, 2012, Tuesday
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UNFANCIED and unloved, England arrived at Euro 2012 written off by many of its own supporters, but its solid defensive displays and stubborn team unity earned grudging respect even if it did little to set pulses racing.
Beaten only once, and then on penalties, England was finally, but deservedly, eliminated 2-4 in the shootout by a superior Italy team after riding its luck in a goalless draw at the end of extra-time in Sunday's quarterfinal in Kiev.
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said England had no player of the calibre of Italy's masterful man-of-the-match Andrea Pirlo.
"It would have been an injustice if we'd won," Redknapp told The Sun. "They had twice as many touches as us."
However, he added no criticism could be laid at the door of manager Roy Hodgson, the man who got the job ahead of 'peoples favorite' Redknapp to replace Fabio Capello.
"Roy Hodgson did the best he could with that squad. The players couldn't have given any more.
"What this could do is provide a lesson for everyone about how to be a force at international level," he said. "With Andrea Pirlo in there it was extremely tough for our boys to make an impact."
Not even the return of rusty striker Wayne Rooney, who was suspended for the opening two group games, could inject any vim into a blunt attack and dull team. It is unlikely that injured absentees like midfielders Jack Wilshere or Frank Lampard would have made much difference.
Hodgson said he had been confident of England's penalty-takers for the shootout. "We've watched these players taking penalties in training because penalty-taking has become a bit of an obsession for us in English football, and they've done extremely well," Hodgson said.
"But you can't reproduce the tension, you can't reproduce the occasion, you can't reproduce the nervousness."
Hodgson spoke admiringly of Pirlo, who chipped his third penalty delicately straight down the middle as England goalkeeper Joe Hart dived to his right.
"The sort of cool calculating way that Pirlo had the confidence to chip the goalkeeper - that's something you either have or you don't," Hodgson said. "There's no amount of coaching or training that can reproduce that."
Beaten only once, and then on penalties, England was finally, but deservedly, eliminated 2-4 in the shootout by a superior Italy team after riding its luck in a goalless draw at the end of extra-time in Sunday's quarterfinal in Kiev.
Former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp said England had no player of the calibre of Italy's masterful man-of-the-match Andrea Pirlo.
"It would have been an injustice if we'd won," Redknapp told The Sun. "They had twice as many touches as us."
However, he added no criticism could be laid at the door of manager Roy Hodgson, the man who got the job ahead of 'peoples favorite' Redknapp to replace Fabio Capello.
"Roy Hodgson did the best he could with that squad. The players couldn't have given any more.
"What this could do is provide a lesson for everyone about how to be a force at international level," he said. "With Andrea Pirlo in there it was extremely tough for our boys to make an impact."
Not even the return of rusty striker Wayne Rooney, who was suspended for the opening two group games, could inject any vim into a blunt attack and dull team. It is unlikely that injured absentees like midfielders Jack Wilshere or Frank Lampard would have made much difference.
Hodgson said he had been confident of England's penalty-takers for the shootout. "We've watched these players taking penalties in training because penalty-taking has become a bit of an obsession for us in English football, and they've done extremely well," Hodgson said.
"But you can't reproduce the tension, you can't reproduce the occasion, you can't reproduce the nervousness."
Hodgson spoke admiringly of Pirlo, who chipped his third penalty delicately straight down the middle as England goalkeeper Joe Hart dived to his right.
"The sort of cool calculating way that Pirlo had the confidence to chip the goalkeeper - that's something you either have or you don't," Hodgson said. "There's no amount of coaching or training that can reproduce that."
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