Croatia 3, England 2!

[Hortical]

Wicked goal!

[Hortical]

England failed to qualify for Euro 2008

By Jonathan Stevenson

Scott Carson looks on in disbelief after his early howler at Wembley

England failed to qualify for Euro 2008 after losing a sensational game against Croatia at Wembley.
England went 2-0 down when Scott Carson, in for Paul Robinson, helped Nico Kranjcar's shot into the net and then Ivica Olic slipped in a second.
Frank Lampard pulled one back from the spot after Jermain Defoe was fouled, before David Beckham, winning a 99th cap, set up Peter Crouch to level it.
But Mladen Petric fired in from 25 yards to break England's hearts.
The result will surely cost Steve McClaren his job as England manager and after such an abysmal display, he can have few complaints.
He gambled his position and England's participation on two huge selections and dropping Robinson and Beckham proved catastrophic.
Carson's performance will live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons and it may take the 22-year-old some time to recover.
When he stepped out onto the turf to warm-up and saw heavy rain making the pitch increasingly treacherous, he could have been forgiven for wishing Robinson - who was not even on the bench - had not been so unceremoniously dumped.
With eight minutes gone, he must have wanted part of the rain-sodden pitch to open up and swallow him whole.
Kranjcar found space 30 yards out and let fly with a dipping right-foot shot that bounced just in front of the keeper and Carson could only help the ball into the roof of the net.
The stadium fell silent - and six minutes later, England's world was on the brink of collapse.
Eduardo drove at the heart of the England defence and played a cute pass into the area for Olic, the Hamburg striker coolly dribbling round a shell-shocked Carson and rolling into an empty net.


England embarrassingly appealed for offside, but Wayne Bridge and, ludicrously, Wright-Phillips were both clearly playing him on.
McClaren's 4-3-3 formation had turned into a 4-5-1 as Peter Crouch was left painfully isolated in attack and his flick-ons were easily dealt with by the Croatians.
The visitors could have been more than 2-0 up by the interval - Carson patting the ball down after a shot from Luka Modric only for the ball to luckily force Kranjcar too wide to shoot.
Booed and jeered off the pitch, McClaren had to act and he brought on Jermain Defoe and Beckham for his 99th cap, with Barry and Wright-Phillips making way.
It barely made any difference, before England were handed a penalty by the eagle-eyed assistant referee who spotted Josip Simunic tugging back Defoe.
Lampard, with almost his first kick of the game, clinically dispatched the spot-kick to breathe new life into England's campaign.
England seemed keen to gift Croatia another goal as first Bridge cleared onto his own crossbar and then Carson repaired some of the damage by brilliantly saving Olic's point-blank header.
If the script had been written for Beckham to save his country once again, the former captain seemed keen to follow it.
The LA Galaxy midfielder sent over an inch-perfect cross from the right that Crouch expertly chested down and smashed into the bottom corner from seven yards.
Wembley erupted, but there was more drama to come on a remarkable night at the new stadium.
Croatia sent on Petric and with 13 minutes left, he arrowed a fizzing left-foot shot into the corner of Carson's net from 25 yards.

[Mosiah]

The LA Galaxy midfielder sent over an inch-perfect cross from the right that Crouch expertly chested down and smashed into the bottom corner from seven yards.

Crouch - Technique Genius! England would be in Euro if they had played him some more.

[Karl]

Crouch - Technique Genius! England would be in Euro if they had played him some more.

His touch...movement and general TEAMplay is great! Now if he could just stop climb on and holding down opponents so often he would be very TOP OF THE WORLD!

Yes! ...mi tek hit back Sass di man good as Gold! (fool-luk emoticon? a dat fi dis yah wan!)
Respek, Sass - 1st man...long before any other to tout Peter Crouch!!! !

[Hortical]

And yuh saw the game?

[Karl]

And yuh saw the game?

Who was that aimed at?
I never saw the game.
I was commenting on Crouch as I 'rushed' Assasin when he first said he was good. I am repenting ...extending an apology and showing respek to Sass...as I wheel and come again!!!

[Assasin]

Not even crouch coulda save them. I always knew Croatia is not a easy team to beat.
Mo mi, you and Gamma did sure a dat goal but as mi tell Lazie the England midfield nuh ready.

[Assasin]

No worry a so it go brethren. Mi a follow him from Southampton and mi see the skill. His first year at pool was hampered because him was coming back from serious injury.

Rafa now have a bag a good strikers but rotate them regardless of form, I don't think Crouch will be at pool come next year.

[Baddaz]

kinda remind me of carl brown's decison to not play hue... ouch...

[myYout]

Seeit deh, nuh creativity or enterprise fi help dem. Karl again 'to much TEAM'
a fi dem problem. When supmn magical is needed nuh look fi TEAM fi dweet.
Individual flair and creativity is key pan di worl stage dis is a prerequiste. Nuff Englan balla ongle good inna Premiership, when time come fi dem tan up an be counted pan di worl stage dem always FAIL. Why? is ah easy answa dat.

[Mosiah]

Long before any other? Okay, I will let him have this one.

[Gamma]

yuh nuh......ah bwoy.

[Gamma]

dem get quality service and support from non english players

[Mosiah]

Not sure if Karl don't appreciate flair and creativity, but I will mek him fight him own battles.

For me, TEAM does not exclude the Jermaine Hues (creativity), but it does not include the Jermaine Johnsons (senseless creativity).

[Assasin]

them coulda pick a better team but as usually a the big names and plug them inna position to fit TEAM instead of making a side.

An example is you can't have Lampard, Gerard and Becks playing mid at the same time. That midfield is too soft as both Gerrard and Lampard a go too forward and we know becks defensive skills.