England – You’re Going Home

The first half had ended with the crowd chanting “We’re not going home”.

After the second half – I think if England play even another minute like they did in the second 45 minutes (apart from the Gerrard goal), they should quit and just leave.

England had no answers to Sweden’s surging attack – and considering that Germany, Argentina, Spain, Italy and Brazil all have better forwards, any of these teams that England meets (Germany in the second round, Brazil in the semis, Argentina in the final – if England make it there) will massacre England.

Brilliant football by Sweden, but seriously, England made the same mistake that they have made for so long – they sat on their 1-0 lead and allowed their defense to be swamped. If they want to win matches they have to finish teams off, and that means to stay on the attack in the second half. England should have brought Lennon on to add pace.

Ferdinand seemed injured, but in that situation Carragher should have been moved to replace him and Beckham could have slotted in at right-back – the England captain has enough experience to know how to defend. It would have allowed Lennon to come on, plus England always needed someone like Gerrard to shore up the midfield especially after Lampard went AWOL in the match and the supply for Joe Cole dried up.

Owen is injured, Ferdinand is injured, and England’s defense is shot. Carragher has to come into the center back position, and you need someone better than Hargreaves or Campbell into right-back. More on this tomorrow, as I’m thoroughly pissed off at England.

And now, replays show that in one of the Swedish attacks that was repelled in the second half Carragher used his arm to prevent the ball from going into the goal. Bloody hell.