CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Derided by their coach and booed by their fans, England’s players could face a humiliating World Cup exit if they don’t beat Slovenia on Wednesday.
After drawing 0-0 against Algeria on Friday, England coach Fabio Capello admitted he could not even recognize his own team, the one he has crafted for two years. Supporters jeered the players as they walked off the field, and a sullen Wayne Rooney lashed out at the abuse from the 25,000 English fans in the crowd.
England’s players know they are facing elimination, and that they should be playing far better.
“Obviously it’s disappointing,” England striker Peter Crouch said. “We want to give the fans something to go home and cheer about. They made an effort to come here and it’s a shame we didn’t have anything to show for them.”
Failure to advance to the second round would be among the biggest soccer debacles in England’s sports history, especially after the impressive qualifying campaign that raised hopes of a first major title since winning the World Cup on home soil in 1966.
But as it has so many other times, England’s play failed to match the heady talk and huge expectations at home. The team looked sluggish and uninspired in an opening 1-1 draw against the United States, with goalkeeper Robert Green’s blunder costing the team two points. Its performance against Algeria was even worse.
“It was one of those games when things didn’t seem to click,” Crouch said.
Midfielder Gareth Barry said England was “flat.”
“There were not really too many clear-cut chances,” Barry said.
“For England, that’s the least we expect.” – AP
British media condemned the team as a shambles and criticized Wayne Rooney for his reaction to fans who jeered the players off the field Friday night.
The Daily Mail ran a picture of Rooney under the headline “Raging Fool” and The Sun’s front page blared: “Roo blows fuse over boos.”
The Guardian reported that England displayed “No spark, no spirit, no hope.”
“This was not the type of show England had hoped to stage and the tournament is giving these players a severe test,” the newspaper wrote.
The Daily Mirror offers that England coach Fabio Capello has put too much pressure on the forward.
“From the moment the Italian came into the job, his entire approach has been about one idea, geared towards Rooney,” it said. “He changed the shape of the team to make him the central figure, told the planet to beware and made the Manchester United man his talisman.
“But last night England did not have Wayne Rooney. Yes, they had a fellow called Rooney playing in the No. 10 shirt, but they did not have Wayne Rooney.”
— AP