UK & World News
- 25 June 2012, 18:05
England Crash Out Of Euro 2012 On Penalties
England have crashed out of Euro 2012 on penalties to Italy - the sixth defeat in their previous seven shoot-outs.
Around 6,000 Three Lions fans trudged from the Olympic Stadium in Kiev after midnight local time as the long wait for a second major trophy continued.
Millions of fans back in England were glued to television screens as the drama unfolded.
The quarter-final had finished goalless after extra time, with Italy dominating the match.
And England's hopes were raised after Riccardo Montolivo missed Italy's second penalty.
But Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed their spot kicks before Alessandro Diamanti's decisive strike beat England keeper Joe Hart.
"It's obviously a hard way to go out," England striker Wayne Rooney said. "And it's maybe happened too many times now."
Manager Roy Hodgson said he had been confident in England's five penalty-takers before the shoot-out had got under way at the Olympic Stadium.
He said: "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.
"But you can't reproduce the tension, you can't reproduce the occasion, you can't reproduce the nervousness."
The only victory when England players have been put on the spot from 12 yards came in the Euro 1996 quarter-finals against Spain.
The English penalty jinx started in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup against West Germany and the unified Germans ousted them at the same stage in Euro 1996.
Argentina was the shoot-out victor in the second round at the 1998 World Cup, and Portugal beat England in the quarter-finals at both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
what do you think?
TheKarmacanic
Yes, you've guessed it... Another international football tournament and England lose again on penalties! It seems ever since Italia '90 we've been cursed, that's over 20yrs of not being able to consistently score goals from a ridiculously close distance! Why are most other teams able to handle the pressure of penalties and not England? All comments welcome...
stevie may
From one pagan to another - wish the Great Mother Goddess would help us ! But she dont care about football. . . :-)
Lorgar Aurelian
As soon as a little expectation drops on their shoulders they crumble. I knew Young wouldn't convert and why did Carroll not step up? Performance worthy of WC 10
dplines
I don't think we are cursed we're just not good enuff simple
stevie may
Our boys did us proud given the circumstances. . . . Now its time to do what we English do best - Stiff upper lip. Swallow the disapointment and prepare for the world cup in 2 years time. Ive never been a diehard patriot, but I feel proud to be English today. As Shakespeare once wrote - "Come on you noblest England !"
flagg flagg
Nothing to be proud of on last nights performance Stevie, being outplayed like that made for painful viewing.
daysleeperman
He actually wrote 'On, on, you noblest England...' but at Agincourt we bossed the midfield and took our chances. Last night we were awful.
stephen
England was burnt out.
Steve Marshall
Burnt out after 45 mins, ashley young had a nightmare all night, why did he take a pen ????.
Steve Bassett
Just not good enough we need to keep the ball and pass much better. Just look at our passes compared to the Italians??? But would have been better on the bbc with positive commentators they are just so negative towards England.
TheKarmacanic
I think it's called being objective.
Lorgar Aurelian
In fairness it was hard for them to talk about how we pressed the ball don't you think?
Russell Clarke
It was on the BBC !!! They tried to do what they did with the Ukraine when Rooney scored a goal a blind man would find hard to miss. They pressed early on in the hope of getting an early goal and then sit back and defend but it didn't work.
adam
We did pretty good as far as i am concerned, the fact is that the quarter finals are our natural level and every now and then we will do a bit better and every now and then we will do a bit worse. To be in the top 8 teams in Europe and the world is not to be sniffed at and I for one am proud of the whole team.
Graham Mcneill
has the english fa not considered that there players are too old now take a leaf out of germanys book and start getting younger players in the team but at least we won't have the biased commentators ramming it down our throats and someone should tell them not to count there eggs before their hatched
IRONSTINE
The England squad exceeded every ones expectations well done, a little bit more luck next time.
Michael Dynes
" with Italy dominating the match....." Surprise surprise!!! Sorry chaps, but I DID tell you
Stevie Mac
oh dear,penne pasta today for me
Phylip de la Maziere
WHO CARES? OVER PAID SO CALLED FOOTBALLER,S WHO CANNOT DELIVER WHEN IT MATTERS!!!! THE SOONER THIS F****** EVENT IS OVER THE BETTER!
Michael Dynes
Told you so... Why don't you turn out to support our cricket or rugby teams, they actually deserve our support?
Windows Live User
Not bad for a team that was given no hope as they left for the competition!
Jasmin Louise
Think we need to start a fresh! Some new young talent would help.
Dave Harrison
We reached the stage we were expected too and then went out.What concerns me is that when the inquests ended after every major competition in the last 30 years we hear comments like the continentals are technically better than us, they keep the ball better than us, we are light years behind them skillwise etc etc. Worringly I heard it all again last night which suggests we are not moving forward at all
displayim
Over Paid, And vastly overrated, Firstly Well Done Italy, Far superior team. Carroll, Milner, Young, Welbeck, Are NOT International footballers, Rooney is not 'A World Class' footballer, So Penalties it was again, Up steps Ashly Cole, Who earlier has stated on TV that he would never score for England, Whats happens..............You know the rest! Good luck Roy in trying to find footballers that can compete at this level, Your going to need it, Maye you should ask the squad to look at the remaning games they may learn how to keep possession.
Michelle Chambers
The trouble is the Premiership invests far too much money and time on foreign players and therefore when it comes to picking a squad for representing England in these international games we are left with the scrag ends basically because all the best players go back home to represent their own countries leaving us high & dry! its about time this was stopped and more money was invested in the local academies rather than throwing money abroard and then perhaps England might just get somewhere & give their fans something to be proud of.
Eric Coster
The England defence was outstanding, without it we would have been coming home earlier. We just try to rush it. Try passig the ball like the top teams, just kickig it up field just gives it to the other side. We need to deliver strikers that are good on the ball. Wayne Rooney is a good supplier of the ball but is not an out and out striker. We missed lamps in mid field with his mature head.
Kelly Curtis
9:30pm on 24/6/2012
better than being humiliated by zee germans.
Kenny Turner
11:50pm on 24/6/2012
And you can bet your last Euro - zee Germans would've humiliated zem.. And, I bet zee Germans are dizzapointed not to face zee eazy englanders.. Zing ven you're vinning - you only zing ven you're winning. Te-he..
Graham Mcneill
1:15am on 25/6/2012
they could teach england a thing or two tho