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Agony outweighs ecstasy for
England
Posted: Tuesday June 30, 1998 07:08 PM
PARIS (CNN/SI) -- For long-suffering England fans,
the renewal of the age-old rivalry with Argentina
provided them with some of the greatest ecstacies and agonies they will
ever know as soccer followers. Agony when David Seaman conceded a
fifth minute penalty ... the pain compounded by the fact Argentine captain
Diego Simeone clearly played for the penalty and fooled the referee to
perfection. Agony when Gabriel Batistuta scored from the spot, even
though Seaman got his fingers to the ball. Ecstasy when teenager
Michael Owen charged goalwards and was judged by benevolent referee Kim
Nielsen, of Denmark, to
have been illegally brought down. Ecstasy when England skipper
Alan Shearer slammed home the penalty for 1-1. Ecstasy in the 16th
minute when Owen went on a dazzling run and scored a truly stunning goal.
This kid is world class. 2-1 England. Agony on the stroke of half
time when Argentina worked a delightful free kick. Javier Zanetti scored
for 2-2. Agony when midfield star David Beckham was sent off
early in the second half in one of the more harsh decisions I have ever had
the misfortune to witness. Simeone fouled Beckham and then held him down by
pressing into his lower back. Beckham has a lower back injury.
The Manchester United player, lying face down, kicked a leg up in Simeone's
direction. The Argentine captain fell like he'd been hit by a hundred
bullets. Beckham was shown the red card, Simeone a yellow. Agony
as England had a goal disallowed late in the regulation 90 minutes.
Agony as England had to hold out for almost all the second half minus a
man. Ecstasy that they saw it through so gamely. Agony as
they had to hold out for a further 30 minutes of extra time and all the
nightmares the Golden Goal rule brings with it. Ecstasy that they
survived it so bravely. Agony as the penalty shoot out began,
remembering the last World Cup shoot-out they were involved in ended in
defeat by Germany in the
1990 semifinals. Ecstasy as Hernan Crespo's shot was saved from
the spot by Seaman. Agony as Paul Ince saw his shot saved from the
spot when he could have put England 2-1 ahead in the shoot-out.
Agony as David Batty saw the kick he needed to bury to keep England in
it, saved by Carlos Roa. Argentina were through on a wave of ecstasy
to face Holland in the quarter finals. England were out in the most
agonising fashion. It was gripping stuff, worthy of a much later
stage of these finals. But for England followers, the feelings
at the end were nothing new -- just perhaps more magnified than ever
before.
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