I remember running home from school this game (as you said Rob, perfect timing) and my memory was it was such a tight game my memory was that it was 3-2 not 3-1! But this encapsulates tournament football in as much as it is narrative shaped by what happened next as opposed to the game itself.
England were far from useless, but history is written by the winners (has any other nation gone out so often to the subsequent winners of the tournament?)
The best game any striker has ever had is an interesting subject for a pod. One thinks of Ronaldo (of Brazil) at Old Trafford and I'm sure Messi and the other Ronaldo would want a word. From our period, there are games when Ian Rush was unplayable and there were matches won by Le Tissier more or less on his own. Plenty more to think about too.
This (do I really have to say which game) is one of my favourite games of all time. Must-win between two European heavyweights, sensational atmosphere, a 10/10 performance by a genius*, and England weren't even that bad. It's been a while since I saw the full 90, but as I recall they were far from useless, just playing with an ill Lineker rather than the perfect centre forward in van Basten.
*is this the best game any striker has ever had? The only other contender that comes to mind is Lewandowski scoring 4 against Madrid in a Champions League semifinal.
I remember running home from school this game (as you said Rob, perfect timing) and my memory was it was such a tight game my memory was that it was 3-2 not 3-1! But this encapsulates tournament football in as much as it is narrative shaped by what happened next as opposed to the game itself.
Thanks for listening Flynn.
England were far from useless, but history is written by the winners (has any other nation gone out so often to the subsequent winners of the tournament?)
The best game any striker has ever had is an interesting subject for a pod. One thinks of Ronaldo (of Brazil) at Old Trafford and I'm sure Messi and the other Ronaldo would want a word. From our period, there are games when Ian Rush was unplayable and there were matches won by Le Tissier more or less on his own. Plenty more to think about too.
This (do I really have to say which game) is one of my favourite games of all time. Must-win between two European heavyweights, sensational atmosphere, a 10/10 performance by a genius*, and England weren't even that bad. It's been a while since I saw the full 90, but as I recall they were far from useless, just playing with an ill Lineker rather than the perfect centre forward in van Basten.
*is this the best game any striker has ever had? The only other contender that comes to mind is Lewandowski scoring 4 against Madrid in a Champions League semifinal.