Here we go, here we go, here we go!!!!! (World Cup 2002 - the build up)

Member Name: barabz

Product:	World Cup 2002 - the build up
Date:	07/10/01 (18 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: We're going to Japan!!!, We're in the World Cup!!!, I repeat, in the World Cup!!!

Disadvantages: poor performance by most players

Its was dodgy, it was edgy, it was tense, but we finally made it. England booked their place at next year's World Cup with a superb free-kick from Beckham, but it was the sort of performance Eriksson will hope to leave behind.

With the 5-1 win over Germany still fresh in our minds, we expected a Greek tragedy (for them of course). But as we have done so often in the past, we failed to live up to expectations, and found ourselves down twice in the match.

Was this the same team that had thrashed the Germans in Munich? Well, no it wasn't actually. Michael Owen was missing through injury, and how we missed him. The pirate wasn't between the sticks, and until the last few minutes, it seemed tat witout them we weren't going anywhere.

Gerrard and Scholes, a dream centre midfield partnership, were nowhere to be seen as the Greeks ran us ragged. Ashley Cole found himself drifting upfield out of position, and in attack, Fowler and Heskey weren't receiving any half decent balls. But whilst his team-mates were running around like headless chickens, David Beckham was turning in a man of the match pefrormance, chasing the ball all over the pitch.

I, probably more than most people, have criticised Sven's choice of captain. He may not be in the Adams or Butcher mould, but if he's playing like this then who cares? Beckham, playing on his teams' pitch, set up a goal then scored one himself.

Sheringham had only been on for a few seconds when his head caught Beckham's ball and it was one-nil. Then, 2-1 down "in the last minute of stoppage time" (where have we heard that before?), David Beckham beautifully struck a free-kick from 30 yards,
and it was almost to hard to believe. We had finally done it. Well Beckham, with just a little help from his team mates, had scored the goal that would send us to the Far-East.

The whole nation probably erupted. As the Germany score wa
s confirmed to us, we forgot all about the dire 94 minutes of football England had just produced, and just went mad. Of course, we all knew that we would get there, didn't we?

Sven's boys have it in them to win a World Cup. But they also have an alarming tendancy to play well below their potential, and this must be corrected. At next year's finals, we won't always be able to rely on a Beckham free-kick, an Owen hat-trick, or a Seaman save to win us a game. We need the whole team to perform.

But hey! We've just qualified as Group winners to the World Cup 2002! Let'f forget about the past, and look forward to a long and successful era with this young team. Come-on England!!!!

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