They have underachieved again.
The English national team needing a draw or a win could not deliver in front of 88,091 partisan fans against Croatia losing 3-2.
England had a nightmarish start with Nico Kranjar scoring in the 8th minute and Ivica Olic scoring 6 minutes later.
Down 2-0 at halftime Steve McClaren brought on the LA Galaxy’s David Beckham and Jermaine Defoe.
A Frank Lampard penalty kick brought England to within one and 11 minutes later Beckham played a pinpoint pass to Peter Crouch who chested down and finished tying the score.
But Croatia would find a game winner from Mladen Petric a substitute in the 77th minute for the 3-2 win.
Expect England manager Steve McClaren to be ousted after his nightmare run in charge.
MLS secretly will be happy that David Beckham now will not miss out on Galaxy league play which he would have missed had England qualified for the European Championships next summer.
So what is the problem with England, your thoughts?
England crush by Croatia and fail to qualify for European Championships
November 21, 2007 13 Comments
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The EPL may be a commercial juggernaut, but it\’s been a failure in terms of developing national talent in key positions, and you can attribute that failure to the league\’s love affair with international players on their rosters as well as in their youth academies. If the status quo continues, England will continue to underachieve.
Foreigners are what make the Premier League the most exciting in the world. It\’s not an argument worth having, since placing a quota on foreign players is ILLEGAL by EU law. However, its correct to criticize their academy setup…but I still think the best English player do \
Club commitments, money, loss of the captain, and a group of players who just never worked that great together. Sorry to see England crash out – always liked the Beckham/Crouch combo. BTW, why was this game so impossible to find on TV or in sports bars?
I’m really shocked and disappointed to see England eliminated from EURO 2008. It’s just weird to have a EURO Cup without them.
I am sorry for the English fans, but am not so concerned what is wrong with them. The team that is going to win it all – The Czech Republic is in.
Cesi, do toho!
Also, Slavia Praha has done themselves proud for their first time in the Champions League, and should be moving on to the UEFA Cup.
I was at a coaches clinic for high school and college coaches last spring. One of the England national team assistants was speaking. He said the problem they have with the England squad is that they have no one up front who can effectively dribble at the goal, taking on defenders and creating their own shot. He said that Joe Cole is the only one who does it well, but he hinted that Cole tended to do whatever he wanted on the pitch.
Perhaps this is why Steve McClaren twice asked Paul Scoles to come out of national team retirement. England has great midfielders who can strike the ball very well, but all their forwards are the type that play better off another forward, one who attacks. I can\’t think of a single England forward who really scares me if they are facing the goal 35 yards out.
It seems to me that you, Mr. Davis, have strong european ties. I\’m not familiar with your professional past, however, I do read your articles in the Houston Chronicle. Frankly I don\’t share the passion for the English Premier League. Being born and raised in Houston, I follow the Mexican 1st Division more closely.
Jay,
I agree no one off the dribble that is a penetrator.
Could England have an over-inflated sense of how good they are internationally at the moment.
Could the influx of foreigners in the English league also to some degree prove detrimental because of the positions they play or expectations put on them?
It is sad to see such a great soccer playing nation not qualify.
They certainly are struggling for goalkeepers ironically.
Did you notice the NFL football lines begin to show on the grass as the game went on….?
At Wembley of all places
Let\’s keeps a sense of perspective here.
England is not all that bad today just like it wasn\’t all that good prior to the Croatia game. The Croatians certainly were no pushovers and their coach had them better prepared than McClaren had prepared his side. English footballers have been marketed (over-hyped???) a little too aggresively the last few years on TV.
English players have a very competitive international level but I think the fans really expect too much from this group. Remember England struggling against obscure T&T and an O.K. Ecuador in the World Cup last year?
And please don\’t tell me that this is the best group of players England has had. Theoretically and on paper…maybe, but not on the field. Just look at the WC 1986 – WC 1990 generation. Will anybody honestly tell me that those guys ( Peter Chilton, Stuart Pearce, Peter Beardsley, David Platt, Gazza, Gary Lineker, John Barnes, Glenn Hoddle ) achieved more than Becks & Co.???
Good points Max, the EPL hype can cloud judgement. Agreed.
Fliprich,
Having moved to Houston from New Jersey I became far more connected to the Mexican league and appreciative. Also having played against Mexican league teams like UNAM way back that was another way to appreciate the quality of the Mexican player.
I have ties to Mexican clubs via youth work and have watched an analyzed their youth systems over the years and have been impressed.
I like many have the ability I like to think to appreciate the domestic leagues of different countries. There are specific teams I don’t particularly like to watch in the EPL as well as in Mexico.