HEARTBREAK: England’s penalty jinx at Euro 2004 returned to haunt England in Euro 2012
It’s the morning after the night before and for once the Red Tops aren’t screaming for anybody’s head after England’s heart-breaking penalty shoot-out exit at Euro 2012.
Italy’s win was the sixth time England fell through the trap door from a spot-kick decider and the third time in a row that they have been dumped out of a major tournament.
Ashes Two Ashes and Spot kick agony for Italy is how the Daily Star summed up Ashley Young’s and Ashley Cole’s misses that sent the Azzurri through to a semi-final date with Germany on Wednesday night.
The Sun back-paged with Crash ‘Cole and Young in penalty hell while the Daily Express laments with Roy’s dream left in Ashes.
Down and Out, England pay the penalty yet again mourns the Guardian while The Daily Telegraph shines the spotlight on England’s penalty failings and Spot kick obsession weighing England down.
“Spot kick obsession weighing England down”
. . . yes, but Hodgson (and Joe Hart) went to great lengths to reassure us that they had spent time on penalties and “had them cracked” . . . same old, same old. . . How come these guys all love the spotlight and the “cauldron” of the Champions League yet they melt at the supposed “lesser” level of the England team ?
I would think the bookies took an absolute hammering – draw, Italy on pens, 0-0, HT X, FT X, under 2.5 goals, etc etc. . . all, so predictable – easy money on all fronts (I had all those).