The general opinion: English team has a bright future

It literally ended in tears in Shizuoka on Friday when 38-year-old goalkeeper David Seaman wept after being caught off his line by Ronaldinho’s remarkable long range free-kick.

Seaman had been a rock throughout the tournament and it would be wrong to blame the side’s exit on a single goalkeeping error.

Against 10 Brazilians who understood the true meaning of the word ’possession’, England went out because they lacked the ingenuity and creative spark to trouble Brazil’s defence – the South Americans’ weak spot if you believed their critics.

Seaman could not be blamed for England’s failure to get a single shot on target in the second half despite their playing the vast majority of it with an extra man.

Nor was he responsible for the midfielders’ inability to either outflank their opponents or use a patient short-passing game to create space behind the Brazilian rearguard.

Despite these shortcomings, manager Sven-Goran Eriksson can nevertheless feel optimistic about England’s future. (Reuters)

Back at home, its not brickbats but a shoulder to cry on

REUTERS

LONDON, June 22: A “crying shame” summed up the reaction of the English media on Saturday after the 2-1 defeat by Brazil in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Almost every major newspaper in Britain showed pictures of captain David Beckham trying to console David Seaman after the goalkeeper’s error led to the second Brazil goal by Ronaldinho.

“It all ends in tears,” said the front page of the Daily Mail alongside a picture of Beckham and Seaman. “Seaman says sorry to England,” read a banner headline on the front page of the Daily Telegraph.

Seaman “sobbed his way into possible international retirement”, said The Telegraph after he misjudged a 35-yard free-kick from Ronaldinho, who was later sent off for fouling England’s Danny Mills.

“I just want to say sorry to the fans, sorry to the people I’ve let down today,” Seaman, 38, said.

“Going…going…gone,” read the headline on the front page of the sports section in The Independent, above three step-by-step pictures of Seaman struggling in vain to stop Ronaldinho’s shot going into the England net.

One or two newspapers chose to focus on the prospects for England’s young team rather than to look back.

“Wait till next time,” read a headline in The Times referring to the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup in Germany.