England were going through to the semi-finals until two dramatic late goals from the Czechs ended their tournament
Evening all. Stuart Pearce has spent the last few hours memorising the St. Crispin's Day Speech, watching Any Given Sunday and forgetting everything he learned at Manchester City remembering his penalty against Spain at Euro 96 in preparation for tonight's team-talk. It's crunch time all right. England have been fairly dismal in their first two games - so what's new? - and must beat the Czech Republic to reach the semi-finals. It's not going to be easy. In fact, it might very well be ugly. The Czechs are hardly about to roll over. They beat Ukraine, who comfortably held England to a 0-0 draw, but lost to Spain, so need to avoid a defeat to progress. Passion, pride, honour: you can bet the house on England possessing all of those qualities. Whether they'll have the ability to keep me awake for the next few hours remains to be seen.
One thing's for sure, if England do play as abjectly as they did against Spain and Ukraine, they will certainly be on the next flight home. There have been glimpses here and there of a decent side waiting to break out, mostly when Daniel Sturridge has been on the ball, but mostly they have been a rabble. That said, they're undefeated. How curious. Then again, so were New Zealand at last year's World Cup and no one's about to label them as Brazil 1970 revisited. As it goes, England haven't had too many problems in defence, the strongest part of their team. Attack and midfield, that's where their problems lie. Probably something to do with Michael Mancienne wandering about a bit in midfield. Just a hunch. The strange thing is that Pearce actually has some promising options on the bench in the shape of Henri Lansbury and Scott Sinclair. They've been impressive when given a chance and should be trusted more. Pearce needs to throw off the tactical caution, have that second slice of cake and go for it. Otherwise we can all do the chicken dance at him.
You want symmetry? I'll give you symmetry. At last year's World Cup, England started with a 1-1 draw, followed up by a 0-0 draw. Then they beat Slovenia 1-0 - the role of John Terry is up for grabs - and we'll not talk of what happened after that.
Actually, we will. They played Germany. It didn't go well.
Is there any point to the Under-21s? The short answer is ... maybe not. It's interesting to note how few players have actually broken into the senior squad from the juniors over the last few years. At the 2009 tournament, England reached the final, where they were thrashed by Germany, and only four players have featured for Fabio Capello since then. They are Kieran Gibbs, James Milner, Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott. Gibbs is hardly a fixture in the squad, while Walcott made his debut in 2006. Going further back, in 2007, they got to the semi-finals, losing a marathon penalty shoot-out to Holland. Look at the team they put out that day:
Carson, Hoyte, Taylor, Onuoha, Baines, Milner, Reo-Coker, Noble, Young, Nugent, Lita. Subs: Hart, Alnwick, Ferdinand, Cahill, Richardson, Routledge, Rosenior, Derbyshire, Vaughan, Whittingham.
Again, hardly anyone made the step up, only Leighton Baines, Ashley Young and, er, James Milner (we'll not count Scott Carson, while Joe Hart and Gary Cahill were on the bench). The rest are yesterday's men, a monument to mediocrity. Of the current squad, it's a certainty that Chris Smalling and Phil Jones will make it, while Kyle Walker and Sturridge should. On the evidence so far though, England won't want to be relying on the rest at the 2014 World Cup.
The 2014 World Cup's going to be in Brazil. England couldn't cope with a summer in Germany five years ago; they might as well not bother with this one. Give the place to someone else, like Scotland.
The first email: "If 'the role of John Terry is up for grabs', then Phil Jones is doing something wrong," says Jack Pitt-Brooke. "He's even mimicked JT's dead-eye stare." Can Jones do this though?
Team news: Pearce takes the bold gamble of dropping his captain, Michael Mancienne, who is replaced in midfield by Fabrice Muamba. Scott Sinclair and Tom Cleverley also come in for Danny Rose and Jack Rodwell. That's a more balanced England side right there, although what has Marc Albrighton done wrong?
England (4-2-3-1): Fielding, Walker, Jones, Smalling, Bertrand; Muamba, Henderson; Cleverley, Sturridge, Sinclair; Welbeck. Subs: McCarthy, Mancienne, Albrighton, Tomkins, Cork, Lansbury, Rodwell, Rose, Delfouneso, Wickham, Steele.
Czech Republic (4-1-4-1): Vaclik; Celustka, Suchy, Mazuch, Lecjaks; Gecov; Dockal, Marecek, Moravek, Kovarik; Kozak. Subs: Stech, Reznik, Horava, Pekhart, Kadlec, Cerny, Chramosta, Rabusic, Hosek, Hlousek, Hanus.
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
More emails. "So it seems, Mr. Steinberg, you are feeling positive pre-match?" says Holly Masturzo. I'll tell you what I'm feeling - unwell. "And I stopped by your live blog to distract myself from my own spiral of doubt ahead of the U.S. facing Jamaica in the Gold Cup. May we both be surprised today."
"Checked German team (Wiki...) and 8 of their starting 11 have gone on to play for the seniors, plus 2 of the subs," says Phillippa Booth. "And another one who seems to have decided he's polish, but maybe not. Anyway. Enough stats. Hoping for a good game, vodka in fridge if not... [has pre-emptive vodka]"
"What confuses me with England under both Capello and Pearce is I'm left wondering what the teams are supposed to actually be doing," says Oliver Lewis. "I'm not laying blame with the managers really but at least with the stereotypical english stratagem of hoofing it up had some kind of identity and purpose, at present england games seem set up for a possession game and yet don't know what to do and how to do it. At the world cup were we going for the counter attack? Were we trying to exploit flanks? The answer of what our teams were meant to be doing still evades me. Most likely boring opposition into a mistake. This problem seems to have infected the U21 team, which is a shame, as you'd hope this is where an identity starts and moves through into the senior squad." I was saying this on Wednesday night - there doesn't appear to be any discernible plan.
Here's Oliver Lewis again. "Well just when I said 'i'm not laying the blame with the managers really' should have been 'I'm not laying the blame with just the managers'," says he. "I'm worried Capello won't resign when he reads my withering assessment if I don't add that."
Some cause for optimism. "This is actually the exact same front 6 that beat Denmark 4-0 in March," says James. "I'm feeling cautiously optimistic, but I hope Pearce has also had a word with Henderson and Fielding about 60 yard lumps out to the wings. Not getting much out of those, are we?"
The teams are out. There are around 12 people in the stands. What else to do in Viborg on a Sunday night though? Not a lot, apparently.
On This Day: Apropos of nothing, on this day in 1996, the Czech Republic drew 3-3 with Russia at Euro 96 and Gianfranco Zola missed a penalty for Italy against Germany.
Someone in the England team has an exceptionally squeaky voice, judging by the singing during the anthem. My money's on Scott Sinclair.
1 min: The Czechs, kicking from right to left, get us going. They're on the front foot immediately, Lecjaks marauding up the left flank but Smalling heads his dangerous cross away.
2 min: England have barely had a touch yet. There's a weird atmosphere inside the stadium.
3 min: Sturridge tries to clip a pass over the top for Sinclair but his radar's off, and Vaclik collects comfortably.
4 min: Look at it this way, there's only 86 minutes of this left. Sturridge, as ever, is England's biggest threat but he needs better support. Just now he went on a run up the left but was crowded out by three Czech defenders and eventually lost the ball.
5 min: Cleverley finds space on the right, just on the halfway line. He has plenty of time, plenty of yards to run into, choices to make. Instead he pings the ball straight to Vaclik in the Czech goal. Ah well. 85 minutes left. "Viborg on a Sunday night, says Michael Butler. "It's not been the same since they razed all the monastries - bloody Reformation."
8 min: England have the ball in the net, but the whistle had long gone. The Czech's made a mess of getting the ball clear, allowing England to play some lovely one-touch football on the edge of the box. Welbeck, Sinclair and Cleverley brilliantly work the ball between themselves, before the latter prods a pass through to Sturridge, who's in the clear. Vaclik smothers his first effort, but the ball bobbles clear and up into the air, allowing Sturridge to smash it into the empty net on the volley. Sadly Sturridge was offside and the flag was up, but that was impressive from England. More of that pleas. That might be their best moment of the entire tournament so far.
10 min: Again England cause the Czechs trouble at the back. This is very encouraging. Where's all this come from? Sturridge comes deep, appearing between the lines, and manages to slide a cute pass into the area for Welbeck. He's forced slightly wide and from around 15 yards out, he cracks a firm drive straight at Vaclik. It wasn't an easy chance, as he was being closed down when he struck the shot. "Apparently ESPN3 isn't any more interested in this than I am," says Linda Howard. "They haven't bothered to get a commentator for this one. At least they have one for the Spain match, although it's in Spanish - go figure. How am I to be entertained during this match? Surely not by whatever that is on the pitch there." What time's The Only Way is Essex on?
12 min: It's all England. Sort of. It's all relative. Meanwhile Juan Mata has put Spain 1-0 up against Ukraine.
13 min: "You'd be right about Scott Sinclair," says Phill Wainwright.
15 min: Alan Smith is tempting fate, warbling on about how the Czechs haven't demonstrated much of a threat so far. This is England we're talking about, Alan. They could lose to a crack Guardian XI under the right circumstances. "Nearly a quarter of an hour gone, and I'll say this: we're no Iceland," parps Alexander Wilson.
17 min: Fielding keeps the score level with an absolutely wonderful save! This was almost a special goal by the Czechs. Dockal looped a header over the England defence and into the path of the elusive Marecek. He had to take the shot first time on the volley as two England defenders were converging upon him like walls closing in on Indiana Jones, and managed to contort his body to hit a remarkable right-footed volley goalwards from the edge of the area. Although Fielding was taken by surprise, he managed to arc back and palm the effort over the top. From the corner, the Czechs cause more bother as the cross is flicked on at the near post to the far post, where an England defender boots clear. England attack, but Sturridge curls a left-footer straight at Vaclik from 25 yards out.
19 min: The search for England's squeaker continues. Daniel Gerroll reckons it was Fielding. "God bless him for being so boldly unselfconscious," he says. "A quality in desperate need among England jerseys of all ages."
22 min: Sinclair, who has tried to run with the ball whenever he's had it, cuts in from the left flank and drags a poor shot well wide of the near post with his right foot. Is it just me, or is Sinclair destined to turn out too good for the Championship and not good enough for the Premier League? The modern Darren Huckerby.
23 min: "Given that both centre backs look comfortable on the ball I am not sure why Henderson keeps dropping deep to take the ball from them," says Liam Moseley. "Surely it would be better for him to play a bit higher up and give the team options. Maybe I am thinking too much about an under 21s game." Liverpool paid �20m for Jordan Henderson. He can do what he wants.
25 min: Ingerlund!
26 min: Sorry.
27 min: Henderson keeps on scooping the ball over defenders' heads. That's what �20m gets you. And Cleverley should have just given England the lead. A nice spell of passing from England results in the ball being worked out to Bertrand, who's moved forward from left-back unnoticed. With the Czech defence all over the place, Bertrand stands the ball invitingly to the far post. It's too high for Welbeck who can't nod it home, but comes to Cleverley, who skews his volley into the side-netting from six yards out. That's a poor miss.
30 min: Kozak spins away from Jones on the right, but the defender recovers well to block the cross behind for a corner. They then try the sneaky corner routine, where one player runs over to the ball and then jogs off, apparently leaving it for a team-mate. Only, the player in question had actually touched it and with England caught completely cold, Kovarik is able to take the ball off the corner spot, dribble towards the area ... and then smash a shot out for a throw-in on the opposite side. That's probably not what they were going for. Manchester United and Roma were actually penalised for doing this two years ago, but the Czechs got away with it, presumably because they'd told the referee what they wanted to do before the game.
33 min: Chris Smalling, England's centre-back, suddenly performs a delightful pirouette to escape two Czech players on the halfway line. Who knew he had that in his locker? That takes some stones, not only because it was so risky given the position, but also because he's English. Rio Ferdinand used to do a lot of that when he was at West Ham, but it got drilled out of him at Leeds.
36 min: Jones allows himself to be bumped out of the way by Kozak as the pair go for a high ball forward. That's far too easy for Kozak. Kozak rolls away and scampers forward before lashing a shot well over the top from 25 yards out.
38 min: Walker curls a cross to the far post, which Celustka heads behind for a corner on the left. Sinclair takes it and Jones makes a nuisance of himself, heading the ball down, but with some difficulty, it's cleared.
40 min: Henderson needs to be taken off at half time. As in the previous two matches, he is having a minor stinker. Under no pressure in Czech Republic's half, he turned round and knocked a pass behind Smalling and almost playing Kozak through. He's already learning from Steven Gerrard then.
41 min: Vaclik is called into action again, as he flies to his left to push a vicious shot from the edge of the area by Sinclair, who had darted in again from the left, over the bar. The corner comes to nothing.
43 min: "Evening, Jacob," says Ian Copestake. Evening. "Long time since the cricket, no. I feel it is utterly reprehendersonible to criticise Jordan H for overhitting his passes. Playing for the U21s they obviously use a smaller pitch so he is just demonstrating his greater suitability to the big time."
45 min: The signs are not good for England. They've been better than they were against Ukraine, but that's not really saying much. "Admirable for Welbeck to play for the country of his birth rather than for a side where he stands more chance of winning something," says Alexander Netherton.
Peep! Peep! And there is the half-time whistle. England have now failed to score in four out of five halves in this tournament. They'll need to in the next one, or they'll be on their way home.
Half time emails:
"I am at the game in Viborg after a 4 hour-drive from Copenhagen," says Mark Shanahan. "Its cold and windy, the only beer on the ground is alcohol-free and 7 quid a pint. Still as a Cambridge United season-ticket holder the crowd size and the ability of Jordan Henderson are comfortingly familiar." The beer's probably still cheaper than a pint in London.
"I used to regard Gary McSheffrey as one of those 'too good for the Championship, not good enough for the Premiership' players," says Nobby Nutkins. "To be fair, in recent years he has put paid to that perception by lowering his standard to that of a not particularly good Championship player."
"It isn't pretty is it?" understates Chris Parker. "To badly misquote George Orwell - 'If you want a picture of the future [of England at international tournaments] , imagine a boot hoofing the ball out from the back ?forever'."
"Any Guardian-cappuccino-machine related news for half-time?" asks Joost de Boer. Not tonight, Joost. I do have a green apple and a red cricket ball in front of me though. If you weren't being careful, you could mistake the ball for an apple and eat it. Although you'd have to be pretty slow on the uptake not to realise after the first bite.
"Shouldn't this lot be in Puerto Banus drinking alcopops and lighting cigars with fifty pound notes?" says Gary Naylor. "They might as well be for all the chance they have of winning something." If they do head there, they should go to Puerto Banus.
"And you had to travel to watch this?" says David Dickinson. Surely not the one and only? Disappointed smile emoticon. They don't pay you enough, i'm sure. This is just awful. Lets see what spins put on this. The entire structure of English football is rotten from its core. Selection is often decided by how much the agents sweeten the process. Because looking at this lot, It has to be. Try and stay awake the second half."
A worrying development. Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have made a film. Together. And they appear in it. In cinemas. And people will pay money to see it. Who allowed this to be? Not in my name.
46 min: England get us going again. If they don't score, they're out. I had a charming email from a Mr. David Pascoe at half time. It involved use of the Bad Word. He's a bit sensitive because Liverpool spent TWENTY MILLION POUNDS on Jordan Henderson and he doesn't want us to mention that Jordan Henderson cost TWENTY MILLION POUNDS. To start the second half, Jordan "�20m" Henderson backheels the ball to Dockal. You can't put a price on that.
47 min: Henderson is going to score the winner though.
48 min: Muamba nearly gets hustled off the ball by Moravek, who would have been clean through on goal. Muamba does enough to outmuscle Moravek though. He was living dangerously there.
49 min: "Can I send a shout out?" hollers Ian Copestake. "It's to an airport. Namely Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport for having free wifi, allowing me to follow English sporting failure without that extra pain of paying for the humiliation."
51 min: Cafu Walker wins another corner for England. It's taken short though, and those never work. There's nothing quite like the sigh from the crowd that greets a short corner.
52 min: With nothing much going on in Viborg, let's focus more on the sigh that greets short corners. Imagine Peter Griffin when confronted by Buzz Killington. "Bad Teacher does sound unbelievably awful, but it has Jason Segel," says Benjamin List. "So one saving grace. My theory on Lansbury's absence is that Pearce heard this and thought it was about the midfelder. He probably thought it was an inventive scouting report."
54 min: England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. England have to score. Can someone tell them?
56 min: No goals and no action makes Jacob a bored boy.
57 min: England are pressing a bit. It's not very convincing to be honest. They just seem to hope they'll get a lucky break in the box.
59 min: On the right, Sturridge plays a pass into the area for Cleverley's. He's well marked and has his back to goal, but a nifty turn creates space for the shot, but he's leaning back as he hits it and the ball wafts harmlessly over the top.
60 min: "Let's put the hilariousness of Mr �20m's ineptitude in this tournament aside for a second," says Phill Wainwright. "How much is Modric worth by comparison?" Forget that, how much am I worth by comparison?
61 min: From the right, Kovarik curls a teasing free-kick into the six-yard box. For a moment, it looks like it might cause England a spot of bother, but it's headed clear. There's not much wrong with England's defending.
62 min: A free-kick from the left is headed out to the edge of the area, where Walker blazes a volley miles wide, the ball whizzing past Viborg Cathedral.
64 min: Jordan Henderson jogs off with the composure you'd expect of a player that costs �20m. Henri Lansbury is on in his place.
65 min: Suchy goes on a charge up the right flank, and Sinclair, tracking back, inadvertently knocks the ball into the England area with his covering tackle. For a moment, Moravek, only eight yards out, has a clear sight of goal, but Bertrand gets back magnificently to blast the ball clear. Excellent defending.
67 min: England have a corner. Martin Tyler's excited. Not for long. But the danger's not over yet for the Czechs as Lasnbury slips a fine pass into the inside-left channel for Sinclair. He knocks the ball into the six-yard box, but Mazuch is on hand to boot the cross away.
68 min: A change for the Czech Republic: Kovarik goes off, Cerny comes on.
69 min: Walker sloppily loses the ball to Cerny, who shows a neat turn of pace, racing away from the right-back. Walker gets back to challenge him, but Cerny touches the ball inside, so the England right-back decides to wrestle him. Not sure why. He's booked. Celutska heads the inswinging free-kick from the left over.
70 min: "So you have a tendency to bite cricket balls?" says Phil Sawyer. "Are you at all related to the cricketer Shahid Afridi? I realise this isn't at all football related, but let's face it, there's probably a fair few reading who were following the test and couldn't be arsed to move afterwards (well, me, at least) so they'll probably get the reference." I fear I've revealed too much. So, does anyone else rehearse jokes in front of the mirror before going out on a Saturday night? Yeah, me neither.
72 min: It has to be said that the Czechs are pretty miserable as well. As if to prove the point, Celutska belts an abysmal shot into the stands. "This is terrible isn't it?" says Patrick Cullen, who knows a dud when he sees one. "The future of English football, and it looks just like the present and the past, an insipid disappointment. Where is the red thread, the recognizable way of playing exhibited by all England teams whatever the level, like Barcelona, Ajax or Spain? Of course, they do all have a certain ineptitude in common, but what about some tactical trademark, "the English way", some anglo saxon tika-taka? I know, i'm ranting here, but whilst I'm at it, Stuart Pearce? An assistant coach maybe, a motivator, but not a manager. The man's tactically dyslexic, and the only reason he got the job was to function as a bulldog-like sop to nationalist feeling so "the ingerlish" didn't get in a strop about all the Italians gettiung the main job."
73 min: "Regarding transfer prices for the MBM team, I think the rates have to be set at early 80s levels considering the throwback nature of the MBM (well it is on the wireless)," says Ian Copestake. "I would say Rob Smyth was the MBMs Trevor Francis, breaking the million pound barrier." Spain are now 3-0 up, Juan Mata grabbing his second. As it stands, they'll top the ground ahead of the Czech Republic.
74 min: "90 minutes is a long time," muses Martin Tyler. You don't have to tell me.
75 min: "Liverpool supporter here," says Tim Daw. "I'm trying to watch Jordan Henderson to get some idea of what we just bought. I just can't tell if he's even on the pitch. He's no more anonymous than the rest of the team though, really. Just awful football." To be fair, he has been substituted.
GOAL! England 1-0 Czech Republic (Welbeck, 76 min): England have done it! They've got the goal that will send them through if it stays like this. It's not been pretty, but they've got the goal and now the Czech Republic have to score. It was a wonderfully executed goal as well, and predictably it was made by Sturridge and finished by Welbeck. On the right, Sturridge worked the ball on to his favoured left foot and curled a delicious cross into the area. Welbeck found a pocket of space between the Czech defenders and his header into the left corner was too strong for Vaclik, who couldn't keep it out despite getting a hand on it. He might be disappointed with that, but do England care? No.
77 min: Marc Albrighton comes on for Tom Cleverley.
78 min: Free-kick to England, 30 yards from goal. It's touched to Lansbury, whose low skimmer fizzes inches past the left post.
80 min: Suchy is booked for an absurdly cynical trip on Welbeck, who was haring after a through ball. England have a free-kick 25 yards out.
81 min: Sturridge's effort is still rising.
82 min: England nearly seal their place in the semi-finals but Welbeck can't turn the rebound in after Vaclik had blocked Sturridge's drive from a tight angle.
83 min: Two changes for the Czech Republic: Pekhart and Chramosta come on for Kozak and Moravek.
85 min: Jones shanks a clearance straight back to the Czechs, but Pekhart's pass through to ChrAmosta is cleared by the wonderful Smalling.
88 min: Chramosta sends a tame header wide after a cross from Dockal. The Czechs, remember, now have to score. Danny Rose comes on for Scott Sinclair.
GOAL! England 1-1 Czech Republic (Chramosta, 89 min): With seconds left, suddenly England's world falls apart. The Czechs have struck a blow that will surely prove fatal. England now have to score again. It was starting to look desperate for the Czechs but almost out of nothing, they've rescued their tournament. It all came from fantastic play on the right by Gecov, whose quick feet helped him wriggle past two England players and into the area. He drove a cross into the area which took a deflection and looped into the path of Chramosta, who lobbed the ball over the onrushing Fielding and into the net, England's defenders only able to watch on in horror.
90 min+1: England have three minutes of stoppage time to get a winner.
GOAL! England 1-2 Czech Republic (Pekhart, 90 min+4): England are going home. Football's staying on the continent. With England having to send men forward in the vain hope of getting a second goal, they were caught woefully short at the back. Chramosta broke the offside trap and unselfishly rolled a pass to his left for Pekhart, who stroked into the empty net from the edge of the area. Oh England!
Peep! Peep! Peep! And that was the last kick of the match. England are out. The Czech Republic are through. What a turnaround.
Kyle Walker sits on the turf, a beaten man, a look of disbelief on his face. How did England manage to throw that away? That really took some stunning ineptitude. The Czechs are jubilant, but there's going to be a serious inquest for their beaten opponents now. "Good to see normal service has been resumed," says Sharky.
"Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try." England were a mere minute away from going through, but they shouldn't kid themselves. They haven't been good enough. Back to the drawing board. Again. Oh dear. On to Wimbledon. No pressure, Andy. Thanks for all of your emails. Sorry I couldn't use them all. Bye.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jun/19/england-czech-republic-under-21-live
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