One moment, please.....

Posted by Jasper Reed in Ecuador, England, Germany, World Cup | 17 June 2006

If offered qualification for the knock out stages last Saturday who amongst us wouldn't have taken it with gratitude? Without conceding a goal? Without any of our back 5 having a yellow card? And with the prospect of toothless Germany or over achieving Ecuador between us and the quarter finals?

And who amongst us wouldn't have predicted that England would do it in such a laborious manner?

Let's get some perspective. The Argies could have racked up 10 against S and M and it wouldn’t matter. They were playing a better side, and were required to play better. Ditto Holland, ditto the Czechs. By contrast, England were expected to win, and struggled against dogged but limited defence. Ditto Brazil, ditto Portugal.

The group stages are, effectively, warm up games. Getting through them is all that really matters. If you play against unambitious teams you are likely dragged down to their level. Given this, and England's propensity to struggle with favoritism (and I don’t mean the football team, I mean any of England’s national sporting sides) it was also going to be thus.

Sweden will be a better test. Serious about progression this will be a battle of equals. England will be narrower favourites in a real World Cup contest. This will suit England, and bring out the best in us.

What we need is one moment to galvanise the team and the nation and get us thinking more positively. Thinking back through past tournaments there is always a defining moment that really kicks off the tournament. I don’t remember Tunisia or Nigeria or Egypt: I remember:

2004: Rooney's performance v Switzerland
2002: Beckham's penalty v Argentina
1996: Neville's cross to Shearer v Scotland (or Gazza's wonder strike.... take your pick)
1990: Platt's last gasp winner v Belgium
1986: The first of Lineker's hat trick v Morocco

Win or lose, it is a defining moment in a defining game that I want to see and remember and tell my unborn son about.

What will it be this year? I hope its Rooney, in the first 5 minutes against Sweden, beating 2 defenders and crossing for Owen to score...

Comments

1. At June 17, 2006 5:59 PM soccerguy wrote:

I agree that as Ivory Coast's first appearance, they are shining! But they are low in the FIFA rankings. Their attack is top-class, but their defence is the main cause of their defeats