Last Updated: 25th June 2012
SERIOUSLY, can we not find another way to decide knockout games where England are involved?
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The toss of a coin, drawing straws, rock-paper-scissors, Poohsticks perhaps, anything but penalties.
The pain is just too much, the psychological barrier too great.
Having lost four successive penalty shootouts before this latest nightmare going back to Euro 96, you really felt it was time the worm turned. But no, once more we failed.
After 120 minutes, during which the Italians had battered the life out of Roy Hodgson’s men, we thought that maybe, just maybe, the luck which England have enjoyed could go on.
With big Joe Hart in goal and so confident, we had hope. The spirit was great, the belief strong. And when Riccardo Montolivo missed with Italy’s second kick, the dream was well and truly alive.
Wayne Rooney made it 2-1 to England but then Man of the Match Andrea Pirlo produced a quite outrageous chipped spot-kick when the pressure was on.
England still had the advantage, only to lose it as Ashley Young crashed England’s third attempt against the bar and the usually reliable Ashley Cole’s fourth effort was saved by Gianluigi Buffon.
It fell to a bloke who used to play for West Ham by the name of Alessandro Diamanti to despatch the winning kick and it was agony again.
For skipper Steven Gerrard, the pain was probably greater than for anyone else — and not only because of the cramp he suffered in covering every inch of ground.
He has been a brilliant, inspirational captain in this tournament. But now, it seems, he will never get to taste international success.
Neither may Cole, who has been England’s most consistent player for a decade. And for John Terry and Scott Parker the end is also nigh.
The signs are promising for the future, with younger players coming through, and the dynamic under Hodgson has been good. Yet that is no consolation today.
England took such a heavy pummelling and were so worn out by the end that they probably would not have gone any further.
The Germans must really have been licking their lips at the prospect of turning over their old rivals once more.
A player like Rooney, in whom Hodgson had put so much faith, has gone through another tournament where he has been unable to live up to his world-class status.
We have to stop relying on Rooney and thinking that, without him, we cannot be successful.
The opening exchanges were anything but dull, with Daniele De Rossi bringing the Olympic Stadium to life. The midfielder’s swerving left-foot volley had Hart grasping at thin air. But the ball hit the outside of a post and bounced clear.
It was an early warning to England, who went straight up to the opposite end and almost scored themselves.
James Milner curled in a low cross, which found Glen Johnson and the full-back was unfortunate to get the ball stuck under his feet.
He could only scoop it towards Buffon, who saved well with his left hand.
Another chance saw Johnson pick out Rooney, whose diving header went over the bar.
Suddenly, though, a gap opened for the Italians and Mario Balotelli was through. But Terry, who has let his football do the talking here, got across brilliantly to stop the Manchester City striker getting in on goal.
Danny Welbeck played a one-two with Rooney, only for his side-footer to go high and wide from 20 yards.
England had an astonishing let-off on 48 minutes, as Claudio Marchisio headed into the danger area and the defence was slow getting out.
The ball dropped to De Rossi, who hooked an easy left-foot volley wide from only six yards.
Hodgson’s side were hanging on and again somehow survived when De Rossi’s 20-yarder was beaten out by Hart.
Balotelli’s follow-up hit the keeper’s knee and Montolivo put the loose ball over the top.
Diamanti hit the base of Hart’s right post in the first half of extra-time, as Hodgson’s side continued to dig in.
The Azzurri then had the ball in the net on 115 minutes but Antonio Nocerino was offside before heading in.
So England held out for penalties but we might as well have gone home there and then.
Deep down, we knew what the outcome would be.
DREAM TEAM
STAR MAN - ANDREA PIRLO (Italy)
England: Hart 7, Johnson 7, Terry 7, Lescott 7, Cole 6, Milner 6 (Walcott 5), Gerrard 6, Parker 6 (Henderson 5), Young 5, Rooney 5, Welbeck 5 (Carroll 7).Subs not used: Green, Kelly, Baines, Jones, Jagielka, Downing, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Defoe, Butland.
Italy: Buffon 7, Abate 7 (Maggio 5), Barzagli 7, Bonucci 7, Balzaretti 6, Pirlo 9, Marchisio 7, De Rossi 6 (Nocerino 5), Montolivo 7, Balotelli 6, Cassano 6 (Diamanti 7). Subs not used: Sirigu, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Thiago Motta, Di Natale, Giaccherini, Borini, Giovinco, De Sanctis.
Booked: Barzagli, Maggio.
Att: 56,500
Ref: Pedro Proenca (Portugal).
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