England have been supposed to win the World Cup in 2006. It actually is that easy.
David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen represented a world class Golden Generation steeped in expertise that in the present day's England setup can solely dream of.
Sven Goran Eriksson's staff had cruised by qualifying with out breaking a sweat - solely an away draw in Austria on matchday one and a freak defeat by Northern Ireland in a while in the course of detracted from an in any other case 100% file constructed on stable foundations.
At that point, the Three Lions had been in a good place to do properly internationally for a variety of years. The 2002 World Cup was a massive 'what if' for England. Beckham was nonetheless recovering from a damaged metatarsal suffered simply weeks earlier, whereas a quickly rising Gerrard missed the event fully, as did ordinary beginning proper again Gary Neville.
England beat Argentina in a well-known grudge match thanks to a Beckham penalty, however with a absolutely match and full power squad they could have received the group as a substitute of choosing up attracts in opposition to Sweden and Nigeria to end second.
As it was, even shedding a quarter ultimate in opposition to eventual champions Brazil may have been completely different, particularly after Owen gave England a first half lead. Struggling for health, the normally extremely dedicated Beckham jumped out of a problem in the construct up to Brazil's equaliser, whereas Ronaldinho's winner got here from a set piece. Whether he meant to lob David Seaman or not - he at all times claims he did - it was a freak aim.
Two years later at Euro 2004, it was extra heartbreak after what felt like one other close to miss for England. A late collapse noticed France steal a 2-1 opening win in the group stage after a fantastic English efficiency and a missed penalty from Beckham, whereas there was little hassle in seeing off each Switzerland and Croatia in the remaining group video games to progress.
In these two video games, Wayne Rooney emerged as England's new famous person. The 18-year-previous appeared unplayable and his loss to damage early in the quarter ultimate in opposition to Portugal, when England have been successful, killed the staff's buoyancy. Portugal equalised in the dying phases, earlier than each groups scored in further-time and a penalty shootout that was solely ever going to finish a method.
40 years on from Bobby Moore lifting the Jules Rimet trophy at Wembley, 2006 had to be when England's crushing silverware drought in the end got here to an finish. It simply had to.
The timing was glorious. The World Cup was again in Europe, extra particularly Germany, after being performed in the warmth and humidity of east Asia 4 yr beforehand. Gerrard was again, Neville was again, Beckham was absolutely match, Rooney was two years older and wiser - or so it appeared - whereas the remainder of the squad was in a uncommon good state of getting a number of expertise with out being previous.
The solely downside was that Rooney, like Beckham in 2002, was nursing a metatarsal damage that he'd cruelly suffered lower than six weeks earlier than England's opening sport. And, simply as in 2004, Rooney's damage badly harm England once more.
With Rooney overlooked, a single personal aim in the third minute from Paraguay's Carlos Gamarra was sufficient for victory in the opening sport. The younger talisman ultimately appeared from the bench in the second sport in opposition to Caribbean newcomers Trinidad & Tobago, however England have been sluggish and solely late objectives from Peter Crouch and Gerrard spared embarrassment.
Rooney then began the ultimate sport in opposition to Sweden, lasting solely 69 minutes. Owen was additionally stretchered off simply moments after kickoff after damaging knee ligaments - that second was arguably the starting of the finish for Owen as he was by no means the similar once more. England drew the sport 2-2 after twice giving up the lead. Despite wanting so laboured over the course of their three fixtures, England had completed prime of Group B and progressed to the knockout rounds.
Ecuador have been the opposition in the final 16, the first sport in which Rooney was ready to full 90 minutes. A free kick from Beckham offered the solely aim and the Three Lions held on for the win, though the opinions have been hardly glowing. "England's win over Ecuador yesterday was more of an apologetic cough than a battle cry for confrontation," Kevin McCarra wrote for the Guardian.
At least England have been by. There was even room for optimism as Rooney had began to present flashes of his greatest deep into the second half in opposition to the South Americans. And with Portugal, who have been to be with out suspended midfielders Deco and Costinha after purple playing cards in their final 16 win, to comply with there was additionally a likelihood for the good revenge after Euro 2004.
Unfortunately for England, Beckham had to be withdrawn due to an ankle damage shortly after half-time, and then got here the flashpoint that has come to outline the 2006 World Cup from an English perspective. After a irritating hour and a irritating event, Rooney snapped.
Fighting for the ball with Ricardo Carvalho, who had fallen to the flooring in the contest, the 20-year-previous stamped on his opponent. The Portugal defender writhed in ache, prompting his teammates to come speeding in to petition to referee Horacio Elizondo, beneath whose nostril the complete factor had simply occurred.
Among the Portuguese gamers was Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney's good friend and Manchester United colleague. As Ronaldo pleaded with Elizondo, presumably to take sturdy motion, Rooney took exception and pushed his membership mate away. After calming the scenario, the referee reached for his again pocket and produced a purple card. From there, England have been up in opposition to it, however managed to maintain on for the ultimate half hour of the 90 minutes and by further-time. However, one other penalty shootout meant one other Portugal win and one other painful exit.
What later turned obvious is that as Rooney trudged off, Ronaldo appeared over to the sideline and directed a clear wink in direction of the Portuguese bench. To say there was outrage amongst England followers is an understatement. Upon seeing the footage, seething BBC pundit Alan Shearer urged Rooney to 'put one on Ronaldo' once they met at pre-season again at membership stage.
"Did the Portuguese try to wind Wayne up? Maybe. Did they get him sent off? It's a fact," former FA director David Davies later proclaimed throughout on BBC3.
Ronaldo wasn't a widespread determine in England anyway, a perceived present pony with a fame for diving, and a Manchester United participant on prime of all of it. After so a few years of harm, English followers love a scapegoat on which to pin their heartbreak - it was infamously Beckham in 1998 - and Ronaldo and underhand Portuguese ways had develop into simply that for 2006.
Rooney was naive and immature, however England had after all been cheated. Portugal and Ronaldo was the motive the Golden Generation have been out of the World Cup. It had nothing to do with the proven fact that England had been struggling all through the event, that they lacked concepts and ingenuity in opposition to a Portuguese facet removed from their greatest in the opening hour of the quarter ultimate, that referee Elizondo would have brandished a purple card no matter Ronaldo's interference, or that England had dreadfully scored solely one in every of their 4 penalties in the shootout that adopted. What about the distractions of the ridiculous WAG circus?
"The bottom line is that if Wayne Rooney had not stamped on Ricardo Carvalho's vitals and seen red, there would be no room for discussion," BBC journalist Phil McNulty precisely summarised.
Ultimately, England solely had themselves to blame. It wasn't solely about Rooney and a single flashpoint in one minute of 1 sport. The Golden Generation had badly underperformed over a number of video games and it put an excessive amount of strain on an particular person who wasn't ready to address it.
Perhaps as a result of England have been in such a sturdy place earlier than the World Cup in 2006, the want for a scapegoat to justify the failings at yet one more worldwide competitors was felt much more.