Its funny. Four years ago, heading into Germany for the 2006 World Cup, we were convinced Lampard and Gerrard were the two best midfielders in the world (they’d come second and third at the 2005 Ballon d’or). They both misfired at the World Cup, spawning what we now think of historically as the Lampard/Gerrard Problem. [...]

The recent revelation that Sepp Blatter wants to scrap penalty shootouts for the 2010 World Cup is fantastic news for England fans.

The England blog is back and – much like the team – it’s under new management. Shawn was caught negotiating with a fake sheikh about writing another blog for more money, so here I am.

I’ve had fun, I’ve learned, I’ve been entertained and I’ve also been appalled, but it was all part of a journey that was, for me at least, a blast.
Thanks to loyal readers and new internet friends. Thanks to Bob and the gang for hosting and inviting me aboard. Thanks to an English squad [...]

My deeply subjective ratings of individual players throughout the tournament (1-10 scale, with 10 being tops):
DAVID BECKHAM — Absent for long stretches and absolutely vital for key moments of 3 of the 5 matches; 5.5 overall, 7.5 for set pieces
WAYNE ROONEY — Never found his pace, never figured out a way around in the 4-5-1 [...]

A night’s sleep and a clear, bright day, and so to the autopsy.
Yesterday’s match was a battle of wills between two teams afraid to lose. Both sides featured egoistic foreign coaches, both had superstar players who’d grown up together and were likely participating in their final World Cup tournament, both had some hot young [...]

1) David Beckham has resigned his captaincy…which effectively ended when he walked off the pitch on Saturday.
2) FIFA has begun the requisite inquiry into Wayne Rooney’s red card.
3) Cristiano Ronaldo declares that he was not the instigator of Rooney’s sending-off.
4) Steven Gerrard insists that the squad
don’t blame Rooney for the result.

Until a decent interval has passed, I am turning off comments on posts having to do with the England-Portugal quarter-final.
One asshole after another has ruined this space for anybody hoping to have a cogent and intelligent conversation.
Well done, Lowest Common Denominator!
As in American politics, you win again!

That was an appalling way to lose, and yet it was inspiring to see so gutty and commited a performance from an undermanned squad for so long.
Minus its captain for more than an hour, down a man for nearly an hour, England played rock-hard in defense and continually tried to craft an attack out of [...]

More later.
But that was simply gutting.