In a very tense match, which grew wven more so as the game went on, a goal in the 3rd minute by Owen - and the loss of Rooney before the half-hour mark when again he was looking the star that he is, this became a real backs to the wall performance from England. And Rooney's injury was the turning point in the match - so early in the proceedings.
The defense had as stern a test as you could imagine, and time after time they battled valiantly for their country. David James was very solid between the sticks, but Portugal time and time again made our hearts pound in our throats.
With quarter of an hour left, James made an excellent save, and then they took off Figo.
But we battled bravely but in the 82nd minute, Postiga got an equaliser, which on the balance of play, Portugal deserved.
Then Campbell buried a header home on the 90th minute but the ref called a foul (though the television replay suggests that the challenge was fair - indeed Campbell fouled his own man Terry - and the goal didn't stand - and Portugal almost scored on the counter.
Extra Time:
1st Period:
Portugal started strong and looked the more likely to get the Silver Goal until the last five minutes of the first peroid, then England looked as if they could create something, but it wasn't to be.
2nd Period:
Level start, and Cole started to get the better of Ronaldo, but Portugal still looked fitter. England cleared off the line superbly but then Portugal's Rui Costa stuck the ball home from the edge of the box - a class strike. No matter how we tried, the ball always seemed to fall to the feet of a man a red shirt - and alas, that wasn't England. Then 6 minutes from the end, a Beckham corner was slammed home by Frank Lampard. Deserved for the goal that we should have had. The last minute of extra time and we had a free kick out left.....but it went for a corner. From this, Portugal cleared - and into penalties we went.
PENALTIES:
ENGLAND: (BECKHAM) MISSED
PORTUGAL: (DECO) SCORED 0-1
ENGLAND: (OWEN) SCORED
PORTUGAL: (SIMAO) SCORED 1-2
ENGLAND: (LAMPARD) SCORED
PORTUGAL: (RUI COSTA) MISSED 2-2
ENGLAND: (TERRY) SCORED
PORTUGAL: (RONALDO) SCORED 3-3
ENGLAND: (HARGREAVES) SCORED
PORTUGAL: (MANICHE) SCORED 4-4
SUDDEN DEATH:
ENGLAND: (COLE) SCORED
PORTUGAL: (POSTIGA) SCORED 5-5
ENGLAND: (VASSELL) MISSED
PORTUGAL: (RICARDO) SCORED :grr: 5-6
Ratings:
James 8
Neville G. 8
Campbell 9
Terry 8
Cole 9
Lampard 8
Scholes 7
Beckham 7
Gerrard 7
Rooney 7
Owen 8
Subs:
Vassell 7
Neville P. 7
Hargreaves 7
Portugal go through to the Semi-Finals.
As an extra thought - why was the game referee'd by a man from a country that England had just knocked out of the tournament in the group stages?
Not our best performance, but perhaps Portugal's best.
Bilbo.
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