Guardian and Observer Editorial
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The Guardian | Saturday July 1 2006 3 England’s Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Sol Campbell and Wayne Bridge get the feel of the pitch at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen yesterday Dan Chung Lose today and Eriksson’s reputation is finished 2000 defeat by Germany at Wembley he began and ended Euro 2004 by presid- would be back in the semi-finals of the ing over defeats for the host nation against Five ready to step up World Cup for the first time since 1990. Greece. The Brazilian may give Portugal if it goes to penalties He has never been short of employers This is liable to be a game an edge but advantages have to be main- and, bolstered by that professional tained on the pitch. esteem, Eriksson is indifferent to accusa- of patience and, if anyone The turf, of course, has been an area of David Beckham tions of a lack of inspiration or oratory. can alter that, it ought difficulty for England. There is a garbled Missed in the shoot- After professing admiration for the lead- mysticism in the belief that winning while out against Portugal in Kevin McCarra ership of Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and to be Wayne Rooney performing badly is a precious quality but the semi-finals of Euro Nelson Mandela, he came back to the Eriksson gently detached himself from it. 2004, his third miss in Gelsenkirchen truth of his own personality. “If you play badly for a long time normally succession for Eriksson never deviates from his creed: you don’t win games,” he said. Progress England. Hasn’t taken “If I am standing screaming in the dress- must come through the stirring effects of one since. If Sven-Goran Eriksson’s palms are ever to ing room before the game and at half- a real contest that supersedes the pseudo- sweat, then this must be the day. He has time, I don’t believe the players will play matches England have completed so far. Frank Lampard been as composed as usual before the better football. If I am trying to be con- There are practical factors in their Scored past Ricardo in World Cup quarter-final, shielded by his structive and say the right things at the favour today. With the roof of the Arena the shoot-out against favourite generalisations, but the game right moment, then hopefully they will AufSchalke closed at the behest of broad- Portugal. Has only had with Portugal will pierce any barrier. play better football.” That semi-detached casters, the temperature may not be cruel. two chances since for Wealthy as the FA has made him, the style is supposed to be calming. More pertinently, a comeback for an England, scoring Swede could be impoverished in one So far, though, the displays have not accomplished footballer could trigger a against Austria in regard, stripped of a rich reputation he strayed far enough from vapidness. There series of benefits. So long as Gary Neville October and missing began to forge when IFK Gothenburg won are all manner of management philoso- is sharp enough the side will be sturdier against Hungary in the 1982 Uefa Cup. phies but it is only the outcome that is on the right of defence and David Beck- May. That, understandably, is not a stand- remembered. Having lost twice to Luiz ham, ahead, should prosper through the point he will tolerate, preferring a wide Felipe Scolari, who beat England with assistance that Jamie Carragher and Owen Steven Gerrard perspective: “I have been in the [profes- Brazil four years ago and with Portugal in Hargreaves could not offer. Scores in shoot-outs — sion] for 30 years and I have been winning 2004, Eriksson has to endure an The latter is expected to be in the hold- 2005 European Cup some things.” There were a string of unfavourable comparison. ing role against Portugal. “He will be very final and 2006 FA Cup declarations to parry discussion of the While Scolari has the better CV, it is idle important,” Eriksson predicted. “He is final — but has missed reckoning demanded by defeat by Portu- to pretend that his ascendancy must be probably the best ball-winner we have and several for Liverpool. gal. “It will not be my last game in charge,” unassailable. For all that he has achieved, he is used to that position.” Neither Por- he asserted. “I have never thought about tugal nor England score all that often and Ashley Cole that. It’s not going to go wrong. They will England v Portugal 4pm BBC1 Quarter-finals this is liable to be a fixture of thought and Good. Scored the sixth win the match. I told them that we shall patience for lengthy spells. If anyone can and first sudden- stay in Germany until the last day.” alter that, it ought to be Wayne Rooney. death penalty at Euro The claims are made with all the confi- Venue Arena AufSchalke Referee H Elizondo (Arg) matches 3 Y18, R1, 6.33 cards per game Weather 29° The encouraging evidence of his last 20 2004 and Arsenal’s dence he can muster but no manager sees Odds England 11-10 Portugal 11-5 Draw at 90 mins 2-1 Radio Radio 5, Talksport Hot and sunny minutes against Ecuador had better be fourth in the 2005 Cup his fate and the possibility of heartache England Robinson Match pointers magnified into a display that shows him final win over Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson 1 • England have attempted will not be chased away. Defeat would Terry Ferdinand repossessing all his former powers. Manchester United. Fifa ranking 10 1730 passes at a completion mean that England had petered out in the Subs from Campbell, James, Bridge, 2 6 5 3 rate of 81%, while Portugal Eriksson would rather dragoon other last eight at two World Cups and a Euro- Carragher •, Jenas, Carrick, Lennon, ≥Neville Hargreaves A Cole have attempted 1670 passes at footballers into the conversation and the Wayne Rooney Downing, Crouch, Carson, Walcott 16 a completion rate of 82%. pean championship. It would be seen that Doubtful None Lampard Gerrard likes of Frank Lampard, if he gets his bear- Hit the third for his tenure since the first match, with Injured Owen (knee, out of tournament) 7 8 4 11 • England have had 58 shots ings while shooting, may have an impact. Manchester United in Suspended None Spain in February 2001, had taken a Beckham J Cole to Portugal’s 53, although Rooney, all the same, is the player for the 2005 Cup final Rooney Scolari’s side have a had meandering course that always led back 9 higher percentage on target — whom there is no counterpart in Portu- shoot-out. Missed 49% to England’s 34%. to failure. His employers could reflect not Portugal 9 gal’s ranks. It may all come down to the against Crystal just on the money that has gone but also Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari Ronaldo Pauleta ≥Simao • Both sides have kept contribution he can make. Palace in on the years squandered. Fifa ranking =8 17 7 11 three clean sheets in their That seems absurd after more than five December 2004. Subs from Paulo Ferreira, Caneira, four games. Of course that need not be the mood in Maniche Figo ≥Petit years of planning by Eriksson but the truth Ricardo Costa, Viana, Quim, Boa Morte, 18 8 Gelsenkirchen. Eriksson, after a career of Tiago, Nuno Gomes, Paulo Santos, Postiga may be that it is the mercurial, unfore- Valente Miguel • These sides have met twice some prestige, suffered the indignity Doubtful Ronaldo (thigh) at the finals. The Portuguese seeable moments that determine how a Injured None 14 5 16 13 won 1–0 in a group game recently of having to insist that he knows Suspended Costinha, Deco (both one match) Meira Carvalho in Mexico in 1986, while manager is remembered. Eriksson holds what he is doing but this is the fixture that 1 England triumphed 2-1 in his breath, waiting with 50,000 spectators Ricardo the 1966 semi-final. can make him a success. The England he and tens of millions of English television dragged out from under the rubble of the Key Probable starters in bold, contenders in light On yellow card ≥ Change from last match viewers to discover what happens next..