adminRIO DE JANEIRO. — England fans’ hopes and dreams were left in ruins once more after Costa Rica upset the odds by beating Italy 1-0 — condemning Roy Hodgson’s men to an early World Cup exit. In their worst performance in the tournament since 1958 — losses to Italy and Uruguay in their first two fixtures mean they will be leaving Brazil before the knock-out stages.
Their future in the tournament was left hanging by a thread last night after Luis Suarez led the South American side to a 2-1 win in Sao Paulo — leaving England bottom of Group D.
Their fate was still in the balance yesterday, but Bryan Ruiz’s 44th minute header led Costa Rica to a shock 1-0 win against the Italians.
A victory for the Azurri would have given England a glimmer of hope going into their final fixture — but the result leaves it mathematically impossible for them to qualify.
The nation has spent months watching football-themed adverts, seeing streets and shops taken over by St George’s flags, and hearing hours of punditry explaining why this could be England’s year.
But after just two group games in Brazil, Three Lions fans were left with that all too familiar feeling of anti-climax this morning, as they woke to hangovers following yet another night of bitter disappointment.
Former captain Rio Ferdinand accepts a “naive” England did not deserve to stay in the World Cup, but is confident the young squad will grow stronger from the disappointment of Brazil 2014.
“The World Cup for me would have been a better place with England in it, but you have to earn the right to stay in a tournament. Unfortunately for us, we have not done that,” Ferdinand said on BBC One.
“Maybe we were a bit naive in situations, in the game yesterday when we got back into it at 1-1, we had a chance to get a point and dust ourselves down, to say ‘right, we are ready for the last game when everything is going to be on it,’ but we did not give ourselves the opportunity.”
On Thursday night, at the tender age of just four, Kai Rooney was given his first induction into what it’s like to follow the national team, after mother Coleen flew him to Brazil so he could watch his world-famous father.
Sporting a shirt with the name “Daddy” emblazoned across his back, the youngster, accompanied by his baby brother Klay, went through all the emotions older fans know so well; hope and excitement, but ultimately disappointment and dismay.
Despite Rooney scoring his first ever goal in the prestigious tournament, he could not stop his team crashing to a 2-1 defeat to Uruguay, meaning only a miracle would see them through to the knock-out stages.
England were reliant on other results to give them the slimmest chance of progressing from their group, something even the most lacklustre of our recent starting line-ups has always managed to achieve.
But the shock victory by the South American side means England are heading home early.
Fans spent thousands of pounds flying out to Brazil, with some travelling to the USA for pre-tournament friendlies before journeying to the Amazon rainforest for the team’s first match against Italy, then flying to Sao Paulo for last night’s all-important tie.
After losing their opening match to Italy 2-1, Roy Hodgson’s men needed, at the very least, a draw against Uruguay to give them hope of making it into the last-16.
Following a dogged performance against the Italians, and Uruguay’s shock 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica in their opening game, hopes were high that the Three Lions could get a result.
Supermarket shelves were cleared of pizzas, curries and crisps as men hastily lugged crates of beer through the streets in the desperate hours before the 8pm kick-off. — Mailonline.
Online Reporter