2 The Guardian | Monday July 3 2006 World Cup England v Portugal

Story so far Day 25 Eriksson checks Group A Group B

Friday June 9 Munich 64,950 Saturday June 10 Frankfurt 48,000 Germany 4 Costa Rica 2 England 1 Paraguay 0 out of England Friday June 9 Gelsenkirchen 53,000 Saturday June 10 Dortmund 65,000 Poland 0 Ecuador 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 Sweden 0 Wednesday June 14 Dortmund 65,000 Thursday June 15 Nuremberg 41,000 Germany 1 Poland 0 England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 and leaves little Thursday June 15 Hamburg 55,000 Thursday June 15 Berlin 72,000 Ecuador 3 Costa Rica 0 Sweden 1 Paraguay 0 Tuesday June 20 Berlin 72,000 Tuesday June 20 Kaiserslautern 46,000 discernible legacy Ecuador 0 Germany 3 Paraguay 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 Tuesday June 20 Hanover 43,000 Tuesday June 20 Cologne 43,000 Costa Rica 1 Poland 2 Sweden 2 England 2

P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts Sven-Goran Eriksson stands among his Germany 330082+69 England 321052+37 dejected players after their second Ecuador Sweden 312032+15 320153+26 successive shoot-out defeat by Portugal Poland 310224-23 Paraguay 310222 03 in a major tournament Nick Potts/PA Costa Rica 300339-60 Trinidad & Tobago 301204-41

Group C Group D land manager before him. Knowing that, the FA was willing to go extremes to Saturday June 10 Hamburg 49,480 Sunday June 11 Nuremberg 41,000 secure him. The £2.5m a year that he may Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1 Mexico 3 Iran 1 Kevin McCarra have been earning at the very start in 2001 Sunday June 11 Leipzig 37,216 Sunday June 11 Cologne 45,000 Baden-Baden is about 10 times more than the current Serbia & Montenegro 0 Holland 1 Angola 0 Portugal 1 salary of Raymond Domenech, coach to Friday June 16 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 Friday June 16 Hanover 43,000 the World Cup semi-finalists France. Argentina 6 Serbia & Montenegro 0 Mexico 0 Angola 0 “Penalties,” said Sven-Goran Eriksson. It That was acceptable in a wealthy foot- Friday June 16 Stuttgart 52,000 Saturday June 17 Frankfurt 48,000 was the closing word of his final press con- ball nation such as England but the highly Holland 2 Ivory Coast 1 Portugal 2 Iran 0 ference as England manager and he might paid Eriksson was to be as overtaken by Wednesday June 21 Frankfurt 48,000 Wednesday June 21 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 as well have been dictating the inscription confusion as his predecessor Kevin Holland 0 Argentina 0 Portugal 2 Mexico 1 for his headstone. The spot-kicks were the Keegan. Whatever Jermain Defoe’s flaws, Wednesday June 21 Munich 66,000 Wednesday June 21 Leipzig 38,000 death of him in the World Cup quarter- it is a fact that the Swede had invested Ivory Coast 3 Serbia & Montenegro 2 Iran 1 Angola 1 final with Portugal, just as they had been time in him, allowing the striker 16 caps. against the same opponents in the last The manager, however, all but disowned P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts eight of Euro 2004. He will go down as a the Spurs player yesterday. Argentina 321081+77 Portugal 330051+49 person who changed very little for rather “Where are the other big strikers in Holland 321031+27 Mexico 311143+14 a lot of money. England?” he asked, bemoaning his lack Ivory Coast 310256-13 Angola 302112-12 England have contested half-a-dozen of options. Eriksson would not accept that Serbia & Montenegro 3003210-80 Iran 301226-41 shoot-outs in major tournaments, coming a Defoe goal in the World Cup qualifiers out on top only against Spain 10 years was relevant: “We weren’t playing Poland Group E Group F ago. Eriksson has not proved to be so this year.” different from all the other people who Eriksson claimed that he was justified Monday June 12 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 Monday June 12 Kaiserslautern 46,000 have followed Sir Alf Ramsey. He had to in including the 17-year-old USA 0 Czech Republic 3 Australia 3 Japan 1 galvanise the national team but in because the experience of being at a World Monday June 12 Hanover 43,000 Tuesday June 13 Berlin 72,000 Gelsenkirchen there was no detectable Cup will benefit him. That is an empty Italy 2 Ghana 0 Brazil 1 Croatia 0 influence. Saturday June 17 Cologne 45,000 Sunday June 18 Nuremberg 41,000 With the exception of the excellent Czech Republic 0 Ghana 2 Japan 0 Croatia 0 Owen Hargeaves’ conversion, the penal- Saturday June 17 Kaiserslautern 46,000 Sunday June 18 Munich 66,000 ties were abject. Eriksson is baffled as to Whatever Jermain Defoe’s Italy 1 USA 1 Brazil 2 Australia 0 why 12-yard syndrome, despite all the Thursday June 22 Hamburg 50,000 Thursday June 22 Dortmund 65,000 training-ground practice, continues to flaws, the Swede had Czech Republic 0 Italy 2 Japan 1 Brazil 4 cripple the team. invested time in him, Thursday June 22 Nuremberg 41,000 Thursday June 22 Stuttgart 52,000 Freeing players of inhibitions is the Ghana 2 USA 1 Croatia 2 Australia 2 essence of his job and the prevalence of allowing the striker 16 caps that psychological weakness demon- P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts strates Eriksson’s failure. , Italy 321051+47 Brazil 330071+69 who tucked away a penalty in this year’s Ghana 320143+16 Australia 311155 04 FA Cup final, struck as ghastly an effort as argument. Other nations bring youngsters Czech Republic 310234-13 Croatia 302123-12 anyone else on Saturday. to the tournament without naming USA 301226-41 Japan 301227-51 In a way, though, that piece of melo- them in the squad itself. Walcott was drama and the red card for not deemed good enough to play for a Group G Group H were so riveting that Eriksson himself single minute. almost slipped out of view. No one, Defoe, whatever his defects, would Tuesday June 13 Frankfurt 48,000 Wednesday June 14 Leipzig 43,000 though, should stare with such an have been far more ready to participate. South Korea 2 Togo 1 Spain 4 Ukraine 0 appalled gaze at the defeat by Portugal as There was an absence of rigour in Eriks- Tuesday June 13 Stuttgart 52,000 Wednesday June 14 Munich 66,000 to lose sight of England’s overall inade- son’s logic and therefore in his team. France 0 Switzerland 0 Tunisia 2 Saudi Arabia 2 quacy at the World Cup. It has been miser- The weaknesses were laid bare in the Sunday June 18 Leipzig 43,000 Monday June 19 Hamburg 50,000 able. The side never looked as if they shoot-out. Scolari does seem to have France 1 South Korea 1 Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 4 belonged in the semi-finals. England had created a steeliness. Just as he had at Monday June 19 Dortmund 65,000 Monday June 19 Stuttgart 52,000 far more flair in Portugal two years ago. Euro 2004, the goalkeeper Ricardo intim- Togo 0 Switzerland 2 Spain 3 Tunisia 1 The team started off badly against Para- idated England with his belligerent confi- Friday June 23 Hanover 43,000 Friday June 23 Berlin 72,000 guay at the World Cup and Eriksson could dence and Simao, assigned the first Switzerland 2 South Korea 0 Ukraine 1 Tunisia 0 not make any decisive improvement. penalty, did not let his concentration flag Friday June 23 Cologne 45,000 Friday June 23 Kaiserslautern 46,000 While England opened the second half even while being made to wait an age Togo 0 France 2 Saudi Arabia 0 Spain 1 strongly against Portugal the spell lasted before the broadcasters were ready. only 17 minutes before Rooney’s red The next England manager Steve P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts card. For all we know, Luiz Felipe Scolari McClaren must get a fair chance but he Switzerland 321040+47 Spain 330081+79 might have succeeded in chloroforming cannot settle for being a budget version France 312031+25 Ukraine 320154+16 the game once again. He has beaten of Eriksson. , presumably South Korea 311134-14 Tunisia 301236-31 England three times but his own side anticipating a shake-up, relinquished the Togo 300316-50 Saudi Arabia 301227-51 are intolerably dull, marked by an captaincy yesterday and so avoided the absence of strikers and a fixation with danger of finding it taken from him Second round playing sideways. peremptorily. Eriksson’s team had the smoothest pos- The life of the national team cannot be Saturday June 24 Match 1 Monday June 26 Match 5 Munich 66,000 Kaiserslautern 46,000 sible path laid out at the World Cup yet permitted to proceed exactly as before. Germany 2 Sweden 0 Italy 1 Australia 0 still fell flat on their face. The manager, Eriksson had faith in a low-key manner however, ought to have had the advantage but his England flatlined at the great Saturday June 24 Match 2 Monday June 26 Match 6 Leipzig 43,000; aet; 1-1 at 90min Cologne 45,000; aet; Ukraine win 3–0 on penalties over the rest of us when it came to tournaments. Ronaldo smiles Argentina 2 Mexico 1 Switzerland 0 Ukraine 0 gauging whether Rooney could restrain his roaming style and show the discipline Sunday June 25 Match 3 Tuesday June 27 Match 7 How Sven compares as England Stuttgart 52,000 Dortmund 65,000 of a solo striker. The 20-year-old was England 1 Ecuador 0 Brazil 3 Ghana 0 incapable of it. Sunday June 25 Match 4 Tuesday June 27 Match 8 The dismissal came when he had his P W D L Win rate bawl him out Nuremberg 41,000 Hanover, 43,000 back to Ricardo Carvalho and reacted Walter Winterbottom 139 78 33 28 56.1% Portugal 1 Holland 0 Spain 1 France 3 wildly to a tug. Rooney loves to face 1946-1963 High points 1954/1962 World Cup quarter-finals over Rooney defenders and make straight for them Alf Ramsey 113 69 27 17 61.1% Quarter-finals with the ball at his feet. In Gelsenkirchen 1963-1974 he did not enjoy such a role and was High point World Cup 1966 winners Friday June 30 QF1 Saturday July 1 QF3 infuriated by the ease with which Portugal Don Revie 29 14 8 7 48.3% Berlin 72,000; aet; Germany won 4-2 on penalties Gelsenkirchen 52,000; aet; Portugal won 3–1 on penalties Daniel Taylor Baden-Baden controlled him. Eriksson over-estimated 1974-1977 Germany 1 Argentina 1 England 0 Portugal 0 High point Did not qualify his maturity. The manager begged the Ron Greenwood 55 33 12 10 60% Friday June 30 QF2 Saturday July 1 QF4 Hamburg 50,000 Frankfurt 48,000 country not to be hard on the Manchester 1977-1982 Steven Gerrard described him as “bang United forward lest his career is soured High point World Cup 1982 second round out of order”, questioned Italy 3 Ukraine 0 Brazil 0 France 1 Bobby Robson 95 47 29 19 49.5% and England suffer in consequence. Many 1982-1990 his understanding of sportsmanship and will bear that in mind and stick to blaming suggested Wayne Rooney Semi-finals High point World Cup 1990 semi-finals Eriksson first and foremost. Graham Taylor 38 18 13 7 47.4% would “stick one on him”, but Cristiano 1990-1993 Tomorrow 8pm Dortmund Wednesday July 5 8pm Munich There has been a steady decline for Ronaldo was in no mood for making SF1 SF2 High point Euro 92 group stages ITV1 BBC1 years. All the good that Eriksson did, apologies last night. The Manchester Germany Italy Portugal France Terry Venables 23 12 9 2 52.2% including the early pinnacle of the 5–1 1994-1996 United winger seemed untroubled by the win over Germany, came at the start. In High point Euro 96 semi-finals complaints about his underhand tactics Final Third-place play-off 2002 well-wishers could contend that con- Glenn Hoddle 28 17 4 7 60.7% in Saturday’s quarter-final, smiling ditions in Shizuoka impaired England 1996-1999 broadly and shrugging his shoulders High point World Cup 1998 quarter-final Sunday July 9 7pm Berlin Saturday July 8 8pm Stuttgart every bit as much as the dismissal of before reiterating that he does not expect BBC1/ITV1/R5/TS BBC1/ITV1/R5/TS Kevin Keegan 18 7 7 4 38.9% SF1 winner SF1 loser SF2 loser Ronaldinho did Scolari’s Brazil. There 1999-2000 to be playing in England next season. were no excuses for Euro 2004 and this High point Euro 2000 group stage Ronaldo broke off from Portugal’s World Cup has been worse. Sven-Goran Eriksson 66 39 16 11 59.1% preparations for their semi-final against SF2 winner Key R5 BBC Radio Five Live TS Talksport. High points World Cup quarter-finals 2002 and Eriksson’s track record was arguably 2006, Euro 2004 quarter-final France to answer the allegations that he superior to anyone ever appointed Eng- had deliberately sought to get Rooney, his