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iklan Masuk: 2006-02-13 Kirim: 12	hot news: england misses european championship England misses European Championship, losing 3-2 to Croatia By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI, AP Sports Writer November 21, 2007 WEMBLEY, England (AP) -- England's so-called golden generation sat dejected on the muddy field of Wembley Stadium, trying to drown out the celebratory cheers of Croatian fans. The unthinkable had happened: The nation that invented modern soccer, which plays at a stadium that styles itself as "the venue of legends," had failed to qualify for next year's European Championship. Needing only a tie at home in its final qualifier, England allowed two quick goals, then rallied in the second half, getting an equalizer off David Beckham's cross to Peter Crouch. But Mladen Petric scored in the 77th minute, giving Croatia a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night that prompted a new round of soul-searching for soccer's Mother Country. "It will be a summer without seeing the flags out in the streets and seeing the atmosphere around England, and that's going to be devastating for the country," Beckham said. "We all know there are more important things than football in the world, but for us not to qualify for a competition it's a huge, huge thing." Beckham was benched for the first half, one of the debatable decisions by coach Steve McClaren, then came for the second in Beckham's 99th game for England. McClaren also started goalkeeper Scott Carson -- in just his second international appearance -- in place of regular No. 1 Paul Robinson, who didn't even dress. Carson's blunder on his first touch led to Croatia's first goal. Kirim pada 2007-11-22 10:00:48
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iklan Masuk: 2006-02-13 Kirim: 12	"It's going to hurt for a long time," England midfielder Steven Gerrard said. "It will take a long time to recover from this. It's wrong to make excuses. That's the easy way out. As players we've got to take responsibility." It's the first major tournament England will miss since the 1994 World Cup -- England last missed the Euros in 1984 -- and is likely to lead to the departure of McClaren, much criticized since he replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson. Graham Taylor quit six days after England failed to qualify for the '94 World Cup. "No, I'm not stepping down," said McClaren, who made a quick exit after the final whistle. "Ultimately I take responsibility and I accept that. It is my job to get us qualified and I failed to do that. I don't want to discuss my future." Beckham, too, hopes to be around for the 2010 World Cup. McClaren dropped him last year, then brought back the 32-year-old midfielder. Wednesday's game was the first time since the 1998 World Cup that Beckham was dressed and available for an England game but did not start. "I'm not retiring," said Beckham, willing to keep commuting to the national team from the Los Angeles Galaxy. "I have always said that from the moment I was taken out of the team and the moment I came back into the team. I'm not stepping down." Beckham, Gerrard, Michael Owen, John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are all described as the best players of their generation. But they fell short over a 15-month qualifying campaign. "I read in your papers that no Croatian player would start on your team," Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said to the English reporters. "I mean, seriously, wake up." In a game played simultaneously, Russia beat Andorra 1-0 to climb one point ahead of England and finish second to Croatia in Group E. Niko Kranjcar scored in the eighth minute on a 25-yard shot that dipped, bounced off the field and went into the net off Carson's arm. Ivica Olic made it 2-0, beating an offside trap in the 14th. Kirim pada 2007-11-22 10:03:19