Klaus wrote:

I love Pirlo. I think we should perfect cloning so we can create a few more of him. They could dress up in costumes and solve crimes in their spare time. Criminals would go extinct in a week. No one would ever dare to rob again.

Burnwinter wrote:

Just seen on Twitter "John Terry has changed into the Italian kit and is celebrating"

LMAO.

Oh well at least Dules can stop referring to Gerrard and Parker as "Stevie and Scottie P" now … that'll be a relief.

Who was the fifth penalty taker for England going to be?

It's cute that MOTD think Gerrard would have been able to match Pirlo's range if he had a bit more space.

Did anyone see Parker's reaction when Rooney scored to make it 2-1?

Pirlo was astonishingly good tonight. One of the best performances I've seen. Marchisio was pure class as well. Balotelli was great until his legs went, should have buried one of those chances though. Pirlo, without question, the best player on the pitch.

Rooney needs to get himself on a diet during pre-season. Woefully unfit and out of shape. Thought England were embarrassingly poor on the ball, but credit to Hodgson for getting them well drilled without it.

I suppose Theo would have taken the 5th peno.

Who are we kidding! John Terry ofcourse.

General Mirth wrote:

It's cute that MOTD think Gerrard would have been able to match Pirlo's range if he had a bit more space.

Are you fucking shitting me? I thought that sort of lunacy was reserved for RAWK …

Nela wrote:

How did Ashley Young and Rooney stay on the pitch for 120 minutes? One was completely anonymous and the other was clearly not fit and barely moved for half the game.

What a proper shit player Ashley Young is. Feck me.

I was surprised by how poor he was … nothing he tried came off all night, he barely completed a pass, constantly made the wrong decision and gave the ball away.

It was the type of performance that has seen Arsenal players written off permanently by people around here. Perhaps Hodgson should've brought Oxlade-Chamberlain on for him after FT, but in a way I'm glad he didn't.

Walcott's desperately unfortunate to not have started this tournament. Comfortably England's best winger.

For what it's worth, you have to hand it to England - they fought incredibly well in this game. Should be going home with their heads high (except Young; he was disgraceful). Most people abroad didn't even expect them to make it out of the group so they've done well under the circumstances. This team has potential under Hodgson. Give him two years and a Wilshere and a Chamberlain instead of Parker and Milner.

Klaus wrote:

For what it's worth, you have to hand it to England - they fought incredibly well in this game. Should be going home with their heads high (except Young; he was disgraceful). Most people abroad didn't even expect them to make it out of the group so they've done well under the circumstances. This team has potential under Hodgson. Give him two years and a Wilshere and a Chamberlain instead of Parker and Milner.

Possibly a bit simplistic but Rooney's return fucked England up. Didn't look as fluid as before and Rooney was obviously not fit.

Sincerely doubt Germany will 'bitch slap' Italy ... just sayin'.

Ok off to bed in the five minutes that remain before dawn.

Klaus wrote:

For what it's worth, you have to hand it to England - they fought incredibly well in this game. Should be going home with their heads high (except Young; he was disgraceful). Most people abroad didn't even expect them to make it out of the group so they've done well under the circumstances. This team has potential under Hodgson. Give him two years and a Wilshere and a Chamberlain instead of Parker and Milner.

Spot on.
Think Hodgson did a remarkable job getting this selection of players to penalties in a QF against Italy.
To sum it up: they ended up with Henderson v Pirlo.
What a gulf, a chasm in class.
I think they did as well as they could and they were handicapped before they ever started by last minute injuries.

General Mirth wrote:

Possibly a bit simplistic but Rooney's return fucked England up. Didn't look as fluid as before and Rooney was obviously not fit.

I think so too. Then again they don't have a whole lot of other potential match winners in the squad. Not playing Rooney would've been the wrong decision, but he wasn't even close to match fitness. He's got no one to blame but himself though. He screwed England over with that stupid red card prior to the tournament. People would do well to remember that tomorrow while they're tearing Cole and Young apart. This is the second Euro tournament where he's fucked everything up for them.

It was always going to be like that with Rooney though. I don't understand why the English never learn. He doesn't deliver in a tournament, they complain about it for a while. But by the time the next tournament comes around he's back to being the saviour who's going to lead England to glory.

Should have been taken off tonight. The player in his position should have worked like crazy, making it difficult for Pirlo. But Pirlo was free to stroll around and take his leisurely time to execute his pin point passes to perfection.

England got exactly what they deserve, played for penalties and then got dicked, fuck were they playing at trying not to score when they know that they suck in shootouts.

Pirlo class above, I was in awe at his penalty.

Where was caroll during the shootout I wonder, too much of a pussy to take one.

Better team won now come home walcott and the ox.