England crashed out of the World Cup in their round of 16 encounter against Germany. While the English will be crying out for injustice at Lampard's goal that was denied by Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his assistant Mauricio Espinosa, the rest of most observers will recognize the fact that Germany largely outplayed Capello's men.
It was yet another uninspiring England performance to match what has been an altogether uninspiring World Cup campaign. The Three Lions were unimpressive during group play, and once again looked ponderous and uninterested. It took the second German goal to spark England into life as Upson got at the end of Gerrard's cross to nod in England's first. Momentum was firmly in England's hands as they put the German defense under all kinds of pressure in the final moments of the first half. The problem was that England failed to come out in the second half with the same energy and intent. Thus Germany was able to settle back into the game as they hit the English on two quick counters to put the game beyond reach and decide the contest. Would England have gone on to win the match had Lampard's goal stood? The answer is we don't know. But the painful moral of this story is that it is be far too naive to think that the World Cup could be played on if's and but's.
The biggest question will be how did England contrive to exit so early from the World Cup? Indeed how is it that such a star-studded lineup failed to perform in South Africa? The reasons are many and both simple yet complicated. England showed that they were truly lacking, only managing a draw against the US, being out-performed by Algeria, and unconvincingly shading past Slovenia. It was only logical that England would lose out to the superior unit that was the German team when the round of 16 came rolling in. And so we reach the crux of the issue. The Three Lions may be great players but great team they are certainly not. The team played with neither cohesion nor joy. Although players and manager insisted that all was fine at the camp, outside observers could sense that something had gone amiss and their performances reflected that. Strictly in terms of their play, England played like the "kick and rush" team that Franz Beckenbauer had labeled them after the Algeria game. Yet it seemed like Der Kaiser had hit the nail on the head. England failed to apply any semblance of a passing game, instead relying on long diagonal balls towards the flanks or down the middle and hoping for one of their forwards to latch on to them. They were wasteful in possession as even Algeria looked a better side in their ability to keep possession and move the ball. In effect, even the fundamentals of football seemed to elude the English.
It might be painful to admit for most England fans but the collective failure that was the England performance in South Africa only highlights the shortcomings of their representatives. The cadres of the team such as Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, and the likes of Terry failed perform during this summer's World Cup. In fact they were all made to look ordinary and severely lacking in ability. The so-called "Golden Generation", as the 2001 English FA advertising campaign had dubbed them, failed to leave up to expectations. But were those expectations realistic? The answer is: possibly not. Indeed with players who play in a league called the most competitive in the world, the England fans may have been entitled to hope for something more than a round of 16 exit. They certainly should have but when did "most competitive league in the world" equate to "best league int the world"? These players are showered with praise week in and week out by English newspapers comparing them to the true elite of the sport. The painful fact is that most of these players are not part of that elite. Rooney, a great player he might be, does not rank at the same level of Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. The impotent midfield pairing that is Lampard and Gerrard should never be mentioned in the same breath as Spanish duo Xavi and Iniesta, and John Terry is no world class defender by any stretch of the imagination. In a league and football culture that praises athleticism more than technical ability and through a meteoric bringing down to Earth, the English Premiere League's greatest exponents have been shown that they truly lack the level for the World Cup.
The next step now is of course to find the solution. But where do the English really go from here? The Players blame the system and the manager's draconian regime at the camp. Capello blames the disallowed goal and player fatigue due to the long season. Some Blame the unrealistic expectations and pressure put on the team. Others blame the lack of young English talent coming through. The first three are but excuses, as England were put to the sword by the Germans, and all English clubs were knocked out of the Champions League by the semifinal phase. Thus they had more time to rest than those players whose clubs progressed further in the competition. As for pressure, true professionals should be able to play under and deal with the pressures of international football. Finally comes the issue of youth and the grassroots in England. Yes it is lacking but these things are cyclic in nature and the England cycle has simply come to an end. However, it is undeniable that the massive influx of foreigners in the EPL has somewhat crippled the coming through of promising youngsters. After all the English only realized, after callously discounting the Germans they deemed an inferior side to them, that they were beaten by the same U-21 side which hammered England 4-0 at the 2007 European Championships. In the end however it was England's arrogance and their self-proclaimed sense of entitlement to success which were ultimately their undoing here. In effect England's record speaks for itself: in the last 20 years, England has achieved 2 quarterfinals, 2 rounds of 16, and a qualifier. Certainly the Three Lions, the English FA, and England fans would do better to stop looking for excuses and instead search for solutions and answers to the massive inquest to come in these upcoming weeks.
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