FIFA WORLD CUP POST 26

this is the story of someone who yearned for meaning after a devastating loss...

the night had been up and down like a roller coaster.. or the St. George World Cup campaign.. in fact if anything this game in normal and extra time had p much epitomised the whole World Cup campaign, whether it was an out-of-form Frank Lampard - supposed to be the 2nd best player in the world only behind Ronaldinho - injury problems with Becks, Rooney blues, missed chances and more missed chances.. yeap if ya were reviewing the 2006 World Cup campaign, ya would do alright by just taking the review of England's performance against Portugal... heroic at best, but ultimately fruitless again.. and ultimately England's inability with Germans or their inventions, whether it was BMWs, Michael Schumacher, and penalty shootouts - these were invented by a German - that ended their dream for another 4 years..

back to the night, Simao's first penalty is straightforward..

up steps Frank Lampard.. surely time to compensate for his 1001 misses in this World Cup.... ...

holy mother he misses!!! Lampard of all ppl!! well that wasn't to be the only shock of the night..

Viana shoots wide, and when Hargreaves' penalty slips under goalkeeper Ricardo, England are back in the shootout.. then Petit's penalty is saved.. and suddenly England have the chance to take the lead in the shootout..

up steps Steven Gerrard.. surely he'll score...................

holy mother Lord he misses!!! surely not.. Stevie G?? the best midfielder in England according to Liverpool fans.. oh God no..

then Helder Postiga, that Spurs runt of a few years ago and a substitute in this game, calmly gives Portugal a lead that Gerrard should have denied them..

now it's down to Jamie Carragher who came on for another sub, Aaron Lennon, just for this.......

he shoots, he scores, it's in.. no.. Ricardo wasn't ready.. ref orders penalty retaken again.. oh God, the worst was coming to past.. it's bad enough to have ya penalty retaken again in normal time, but in a penalty shootout, it was prob bad luck.. the worst, the worst.. surely not again..

Carragher not surprisingly retakes his penalty, sending the ball to the other side, but Ricardo guesses right and saves.. suddenly Portugal have a chance to confirm their place in the semis and send England home from Germany..

Cristiano Ronaldo, the devil, Damien with black hair, the one who apparently wanted Rooney sent off, Rooney his own team-mate, steps up to take the most important penalty in his life.. he's faced Paul Robinson twice this season in the Premiership when Man Utd took on Spurs.. Ronaldo steps up, stops, tricks the keeper and puts the ball in the back of the net.. and England are out on penalties again.. heads of Englishmen/women including Bob Geldof go down in Gelsenkirchen, Trafalgar Square, Malaga, Christchurch, New York, Basra..

now England's record at penalty shootouts in the World Cup stood like this:
Italia 1990, Semifinal, lost to West Germany, 5-4
France 1998, 2nd Round, lost to Argentina, 4-3
Germany 2006, Quarterfinal, lost to Portugal, 3-1

in fact, England seem to detereoriate with each penalty shootout.. they've scored one less goal in the shootout every 8 years..

anyway i was sad, lost, disgusted.. i took my football and kicked penalties and discovered i was p inept at them as well.. it seems England fans are cursed when it comes to taking penalty shots.. i needed to go away.. i took a drive, but what i dint know was where i was going.. i ended up in a place called Hampden and that made me even more sad..

see Hampden, just north of Palmerston, has all its streets named after English towns or counties.. Derby St., Leicester St., Monmouth, Worcester, Ipswich..

as i stared at the "Norwich St" sign, i remembered the earth-shattering moment i had felt that morning.. missed penalty after missed penalty.. even Hargreaves' penalty owed a bit to luck.. i walked a bit further and saw the Hampden town sign..

i needed release..

i stripped nude..

no i didn't.. well i just took off my England top put it on a pole...

and released my story sucks..

but i am disappointed that England are out of the World Cup..