That's the semi-final line-up after Italy won through on penalties against battling England.
The Italians should have been spared the lottery of penalties after dominating the second-half but they couldn't quite manage a decent strike on goal. They fluffed chance after chance as Terry, Lescott, Johnson and Cole fought with every inch of their being to remain on level terms and Joe Hart stood tall in goal.
Hart looked very confident for the penalties but he pretty much guessed wrong every time. Why is it in shoot-outs that the side who misses first so often go on to win? Pirlo, who ran the game, scored with an Di Canio-esque penalty which was amazing to witness. I have to ask why goalkeepers always seem to go left or right. Standing upright would pay dividends more often than either side. Hart could have caught Pirlo's last night if he wasn't still moving towards his right-hand post and even a fiercely struck shot has more chance of being saved if it's straight at the keeper.
Roy Hodgson's dream is over but he has won over a sceptical public and, for now at least, can walk tall. The FA Mandarins will be breathing more easily.
The Italians should have been spared the lottery of penalties after dominating the second-half but they couldn't quite manage a decent strike on goal. They fluffed chance after chance as Terry, Lescott, Johnson and Cole fought with every inch of their being to remain on level terms and Joe Hart stood tall in goal.
Hart looked very confident for the penalties but he pretty much guessed wrong every time. Why is it in shoot-outs that the side who misses first so often go on to win? Pirlo, who ran the game, scored with an Di Canio-esque penalty which was amazing to witness. I have to ask why goalkeepers always seem to go left or right. Standing upright would pay dividends more often than either side. Hart could have caught Pirlo's last night if he wasn't still moving towards his right-hand post and even a fiercely struck shot has more chance of being saved if it's straight at the keeper.
Roy Hodgson's dream is over but he has won over a sceptical public and, for now at least, can walk tall. The FA Mandarins will be breathing more easily.
Pirlo, who ran the game, scored with an Di Canio-esque penalty
ReplyDeleteI prefer to think of it as Kermo-nesque penalty which got lucky!