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Mikael · 11-21-2007, 05:28 PM

Croatia send England crashing out

By Jonathan Stevenson

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 parry 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, Shaun Wright-Phillips - who should not have been that far back - were both clearly playing him on.

McClaren's 4-3-3 formation at the start had turned into a 4-5-1 as 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 skid away, forcing Kranjcar too wide to shoot.

Booed and jeered off the pitch, McClaren had to act and he brought on Defoe and Beckham, with Gareth Barry and Wright-Phillips making way.

It barely made any difference, before England were handed a lifeline in the shape of a penalty by the eagle-eyed assistant referee, who spotted Josip Simunic tugging back Defoe.

The quiet 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.

It was what Croatia deserved for a display full of enterprise and heart - and what England deserved for one of their most inept displays in living memory.

The result, coupled with Russia's slender 1-0 win over Andorra, means England will not be going to next summer's tournament in Austria and Switzerland.

Statistics:

England: Carson, Richards, Campbell, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips (Beckham 46), Gerrard, Barry (Defoe 46), Lampard, Joe Cole (Bent 80), Crouch.
Subs Not Used: James, Ashley Cole, Brown, Hargreaves.

Goals: Lampard 56 pen, Crouch 65.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Corluka, Simic, Robert Kovac, Simunic, Srna, Modric, Nico Kovac, Kranjcar (Pranjic 75), Olic (Rakitic 84), Eduardo (Petric 69).
Subs Not Used: Runje, Babic, Knezevic, Leko.

Booked: Robert Kovac, Eduardo.

Goals: Kranjcar 8, Olic 14, Petric 77.

Att: 88,091.

Ref: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden).

Source: BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | England 2-3 Croatia

Mikael · 11-21-2007, 05:45 PM

For those who didn't see the match

:

Goals

9' [0 - 1] N. Kranjcar

Megavideo / Rapidshare

14' [0 - 2] I. Olic

Megavideo / Rapidshare

56' [1 - 2] F. Lampard (pen.)

Megavideo / Rapidshare

64' [2 - 2] P. Crouch

Rapidshare / Dailymotion

77' [2 - 3] M. Petric

Rapidshare

The Artist · 11-21-2007, 06:49 PM

i watched it..and goddamn im so happy
im so damn happy that we will be spared all the freakin bullshit from the english media and its fans..
so here is for the fans..and the media..suck on this..
this is about as good as you are..
so maybe its time to lower expectations..from winning cups to qualifying..
they kicked sven goran erikssons ass for not winning them cups..
serves them right..

im super happy..

The Emperor · 11-22-2007, 06:00 AM

:c ool:

:coo l:

Was drunk like a mofo yesterday!

Sayonara, bitches!

cawimmer430 · 11-22-2007, 08:08 AM

Couldn't resist. No offense to England fans.

McClaren sacked as England coach

Link: BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | McClaren sacked as England coach

Centurion · 11-22-2007, 09:23 AM

This isn't fun at all. It's very sad and embarrassing. One of top three soccer teams in the world not qualifying for the European Championship. Like expected the head coach was fired this morning.

I still have to do this tough

England got raped big time.

The Artist · 11-22-2007, 09:47 AM

one of top three soccer teams?
i see that they got to you..the fans and media..
they arent top 3..
they won last time when tv was black and white.. haha

Mikael · 11-22-2007, 11:47 AM

I don't think England is in the top three of football teams. Still it's a big shame they didn't qualify.

Here's their recent World Cup record (all-time best result: winners 1966):

1994: Didn't qualify
1998: 9th
2002: 6th
2006: 7th

Recent Euro Championship record (all-time best result: 3rd 1968 / Semi-finals 1996)

1996: Semi Finals
2000: Round 1
2004: Quarter Finals
2008: Didn't qualify

The Emperor · 11-23-2007, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luwalira

This isn't fun at all. It's very sad and embarrassing.

Yeah, for England, but not for us! For us this is the biggest victory ever since Croatia became independent country!

Englad should shut their mouth in the future and play, do not belittle your opponent... Never!

Yannis · 11-23-2007, 03:23 AM

All bow down to Croatia.

I have many English friends but the journalists and sportscasters in England have to realise that when it comes down to football they have to be less arrogant and more down to earth. The English team is a joke.

11-21-2007, 05:28 PM	#1
Mikael Fanatic Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,836 Thanks: 828 Thanked 415 Times in 233 Posts	Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out Croatia send England crashing out By Jonathan Stevenson 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 parry 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, Shaun Wright-Phillips - who should not have been that far back - were both clearly playing him on. McClaren's 4-3-3 formation at the start had turned into a 4-5-1 as 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 skid away, forcing Kranjcar too wide to shoot. Booed and jeered off the pitch, McClaren had to act and he brought on Defoe and Beckham, with Gareth Barry and Wright-Phillips making way. It barely made any difference, before England were handed a lifeline in the shape of a penalty by the eagle-eyed assistant referee, who spotted Josip Simunic tugging back Defoe. The quiet 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. It was what Croatia deserved for a display full of enterprise and heart - and what England deserved for one of their most inept displays in living memory. The result, coupled with Russia's slender 1-0 win over Andorra, means England will not be going to next summer's tournament in Austria and Switzerland. Statistics: England: Carson, Richards, Campbell, Lescott, Bridge, Wright-Phillips (Beckham 46), Gerrard, Barry (Defoe 46), Lampard, Joe Cole (Bent 80), Crouch. Subs Not Used: James, Ashley Cole, Brown, Hargreaves. Goals: Lampard 56 pen, Crouch 65. Croatia: Pletikosa, Corluka, Simic, Robert Kovac, Simunic, Srna, Modric, Nico Kovac, Kranjcar (Pranjic 75), Olic (Rakitic 84), Eduardo (Petric 69). Subs Not Used: Runje, Babic, Knezevic, Leko. Booked: Robert Kovac, Eduardo. Goals: Kranjcar 8, Olic 14, Petric 77. Att: 88,091. Ref: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden). Source: BBC SPORT \| Football \| Internationals \| England 2-3 Croatia

11-21-2007, 05:45 PM	#2
Mikael Fanatic Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,836 Thanks: 828 Thanked 415 Times in 233 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out For those who didn't see the match : Goals *9' [0 - 1] N. Kranjcar* Megavideo / Rapidshare *14' [0 - 2] I. Olic* Megavideo / Rapidshare *56' [1 - 2] F. Lampard (pen.)* Megavideo / Rapidshare *64' [2 - 2] P. Crouch* Rapidshare / Dailymotion *77' [2 - 3] M. Petric* Rapidshare

11-21-2007, 06:49 PM	#3
The Artist Shaolin Shadow Boxer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sweden Gothenburg Posts: 9,171 Thanks: 41 Thanked 334 Times in 242 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out i watched it..and goddamn im so happy im so damn happy that we will be spared all the freakin bullshit from the english media and its fans.. so here is for the fans..and the media..suck on this.. this is about as good as you are.. so maybe its time to lower expectations..from winning cups to qualifying.. they kicked sven goran erikssons ass for not winning them cups.. serves them right.. im super happy..

11-22-2007, 06:00 AM	#4
The Emperor Bionic Jive Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Where noone has gone before... Posts: 6,639 Thanks: 350 Thanked 486 Times in 282 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out :c ool::coo l: Was drunk like a mofo yesterday! Sayonara, bitches!

11-22-2007, 08:08 AM	#5
cawimmer430 Contributor Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Mühldorf am Inn, Germany Posts: 4,741 Thanks: 451 Thanked 374 Times in 200 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out Couldn't resist. No offense to England fans. McClaren sacked as England coach Link: BBC SPORT \| Football \| Internationals \| McClaren sacked as England coach

11-22-2007, 09:23 AM	#6
Centurion Connoisseur Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5,677 Thanks: 146 Thanked 205 Times in 134 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out This isn't fun at all. It's very sad and embarrassing. One of top three soccer teams in the world not qualifying for the European Championship. Like expected the head coach was fired this morning. I still have to do this tough England got raped big time.

11-22-2007, 09:47 AM	#7
The Artist Shaolin Shadow Boxer Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sweden Gothenburg Posts: 9,171 Thanks: 41 Thanked 334 Times in 242 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out one of top three soccer teams? i see that they got to you..the fans and media.. they arent top 3.. they won last time when tv was black and white.. haha

11-22-2007, 11:47 AM	#8
Mikael Fanatic Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,836 Thanks: 828 Thanked 415 Times in 233 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out I don't think England is in the top three of football teams. Still it's a big shame they didn't qualify. Here's their recent World Cup record (all-time best result: winners 1966): 1994: Didn't qualify 1998: 9th 2002: 6th 2006: 7th Recent Euro Championship record (all-time best result: 3rd 1968 / Semi-finals 1996) 1996: Semi Finals 2000: Round 1 2004: Quarter Finals 2008: Didn't qualify

11-23-2007, 03:23 AM	#10
Yannis Philosopher Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5,656 Thanks: 52 Thanked 26 Times in 20 Posts	Re: Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out All bow down to Croatia. I have many English friends but the journalists and sportscasters in England have to realise that when it comes down to football they have to be less arrogant and more down to earth. The English team is a joke.

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Euro 2008 Qualifying: England out