Officiating not to blame for England's defeat

Soccer Betting Lines

06/27/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Had Frank Lampard's shot in the 38th minute been correctly ruled a goal, England may have gone on to win its round of 16 match against Germany on Sunday and advanced to the quarterfinals.

You can make a case that England would not have committed so many men forward and therefore would not be so open to counter-attack chances that led to two Germany goals in the second half of a 4-1 loss.

But the goal didn't count and England has crashed out of the World Cup in disappointing fashion.

That's just the reality.

It does no good to talk about goal line technology at this point because FIFA has decided against it on numerous occasions. And while this game could be enough to help persuade Sepp Blatter and his cohorts to finally use it, that doesn't help Fabio Capello and his team at this point.

That is a topic for another day.

The tough part is that England is left wondering what might have been had Lampard's goal been given, but the Three Lions have only themselves to blame for the defeat.

David James was very poor in goal, and the England back line made more than a few mistakes in allowing Germany to take a two-goal lead in the opening 35 minutes.

The Three Lions only really showed some signs of life after they were already two goals down, so to blame the defeat on a missed call is sad.

James certainly cannot be pleased with his effort as he didn't react quickly on Miroslav Klose's first goal, while the center back pairing of Matthew Upson and John Terry was also left red-faced as they looked foolish in allowing Klose to walk through the middle to score the first goal.

The 39-year-old James looked every bit his age on Germany's second goal as he allowed Lukas Podolski to score from a tight angle before letting in a terrible goal from Thomas Muller, who beat the goalie at his near post.

Quite simply, James needs to make at least a couple of those saves, but after Robert Green's high-profile error in the opener against the United States, the goalkeeping position as a whole has to be a major concern.

The England attack also did nothing to flatter itself as Wayne Rooney had a very forgettable World Cup as a whole, and continued his struggles against Germany on Sunday as England failed to get both Rooney and fellow striker Jermain Defoe into the flow of the game.

Overall, Germany was just the better team, and yes they got the benefit of a bad call, but it shouldn't overshadow a typically strong effort by the mentally-tough Germans.

One of Germany's trademarks has been an ability to thrive under pressure, even when they are not the most talented team on the field, while England has crumbled in the biggest situations time and again.

England just wasn't able to pick itself up after the missed call, and Germany, as expected, went about its business and did what it needed to do to advance.

Not only has England's World Cup come to end, but it is now fair to wonder if players like Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand have played their last World Cup for the team.

Ferdinand missed this summer's tournament because of injury and he will be 35 by the time the next World Cup rolls around in Brazil four years from now.

The midfield duo of Lampard and Steven Gerrard will be 36 and 34, respectively, and even Terry will be 33 and could be on the downside of his career.

Certainly more was expected from this group of players for England, especially after such an impressive qualifying campaign.

But the team never seemed to hit its stride in South Africa, and now they have four years to figure out how to improve.

Blame England's second-place finish in a weak group, blame James and his poor goalkeeping, blame an inconsistent defense, or blame Rooney's incredibly disappointing performance for the loss.

Hell, find a reason to blame David Beckham.

But don't place the blame at the feet of the officials.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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