For England,history always repeats itself

It was the same old penalties heartache for England.

It was the same old penalties heartache for England. This time,though,there was no hard-luck story to accompany the loss.Defeat by Italy in the European Championship quarterfinals made it six losses in seven tournament shootouts as Englands curse struck again on Sunday.

Outclassed and outplayed comprehensively by Italy,Roy Hodgsons side clung on to a 0-0 draw. But in Kiev,there were no near misses,no decisions by the referee to bemoan,just a timid display from a weary team. And one thats going home on Monday. We might have to accept that we werent quite good enough to win it over 120 minutes, Hodgson said.

The only victory when England players have been put on the spot from 12 yards meters came in the Euro 96 quarterfinals against Spain.

The English penalty jinx started in the semifinals of the 1990 World Cup against West Germany and the unified Germans ousted them at the same stage in Euro 96.

Argentina was the shootout victor in the second round at the 1998 World Cup,and Portugal ousted England at the quarterfinals at both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup. Its obviously a hard way to go out, England striker Wayne Rooney said. And its maybe happened too many times now.

How different it might have been in Kiev as Sunday turned to Monday. Wayne Rooney put England 2-1 in front in the penalty shootout after Riccardo Montolivo missed his penalty. But Englands dreams soon ended up in ashes.

Both Ashley Young and Ashley Cole failed to score as the Italians converted their penalties,allowing Alessandro Diamanti to net the decisive kick that secured a semifinal with Germany. Cole scored in Chelseas Champions League-winning shootout last month,but couldnt reproduce such accuracy for his country.

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It didnt help that Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker in Englands midfield engine room were struggling with injuries. Gerrard stayed on the pitch to score in the shootout despite struggling with cramp in his hip and calf. Parker was forced off early in extra time with a reoccurrence of an Achilles injury.

Englands tourist board made light of more shootout misery on Twitter,writing: England lose on penalties. For more on our culture and traditions go to visitengland.com.

But any culture of playing football was largely lost on Hodgsons side during the qaurters on Sunday.