Pearce looks on the bright side despite more gloom

June 21, 2007

Peter Lansley in Heerenveen

So once again Stuart Pearce was enmeshed in a net of penalties, but whereas his experiences as an England player, from the hell of missing in the semi-finals of Italia ’90 to the heaven of scoring against Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro ’96, took him to the extremities of emotion, his uppermost response to last night’s record shoot-out was that of pride.

Pearce spoke of the bond formed with Paul Gascoigne when England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup 17 years ago, only to lose to Germany in a shoot-out. The Under-21 manager might have mentioned Chris Waddle, who was here on media duties and who earlier in the day had curled a sumptuous free kick from 25 yards into the top corner of the Dutch press team’s goal. If only these impassioned patriots had been able to convert their penalties against Germany like that, England might have won a leading tournament.

Yesterday, yet again, England missed out on the glory one step before the final, on penalties. Leroy Lita had missed one, in the first match of this absorbing European Under-21 Championship, two minutes from time against the Czech Republic. That was a poor spot-kick, dragged wide. Yet last night’s marathon efforts could hardly be faulted and, as Pearce said, they are making progress.

If the players were from a younger age group, the drama was up a level. England were leading during the regulation round of five kicks each, until Justin Hoyte had his first effort saved. That let Holland back into the game, but they regained the initiative only at 12-12, after Matt Derbyshire had his kick saved. Even then Daniel De Ridder had his shot saved by Scott Carson, only for Anton Ferdinand, who missed a penalty for West Ham United in the 2006 FA Cup Final shoot-out against Liverpool, to strike the bar. That let in Gianni Zuiverloon to make it 13-12.

Nothing could match the heightened intensity of the senior international team losing a semi-final on penalties and Pearce was also involved when England lost to Germany in the semi-finals of Euro ’96. Then there was the shoot-out misery of the 1998 World Cup against Argentina and quarter-final defeats by Portugal in Euro 2004 and last year’s World Cup.

Pearce, though, can take solace from the efficacy of his players’ penalty taking. So many of their 16 strikes were clean and true, not least that of Steven Taylor, who could barely walk during extra time as injury waylaid him.

Surely never before has one team’s coach come on to the field to get the referee to change his mind over the opposing team’s choice of penalty-taker — and then find his opposite number agreeing with him. Foppe de Haan is a fair-minded man, but it was a bizarre sight to see him stride out and insist that Taylor should take his penalty despite being injured.

“These are the rules,” the Holland coach said. “Stuart Pearce agrees with me.”

The previous record for a European tournament was established when Northern Ireland overcame Iceland in the 1992 Under-16 finals 12-11 on penalties. In the same year, guess who lost by the same scoreline against Portugal in the Under-18 final? You got it. Good old England.

Penalty clause

44 Penalties taken in longest contest in top-class matches, Argentinos Juniors beating Racing Club 20-19 in Argentina

34 Europe’s longest shoot-out, Gençlerbirligi winning 17-16 against Galatasaray in Turkey

28 Spot-kicks taken in the highest score between Football League clubs. Aldershot beat Fulham 11-10 in the Freight Rover Trophy