With England about to return home, the team of journalist Andy James reflects on his time with the team and the experience gained by the younger members of the party of Roy Hodgson.
Everyone said he would go to penalties - and he did. Unfortunately, the book form was faithful, and the sixth time in seven shootings in major tournaments, was England, who drew the short straw.
This time, at least, the pain was eased somewhat by the knowledge that, at night, the best team won. Italy were dominant for 120 minutes in Kiev, creating far the best opportunities and, with the evergreen Andrea Pirlo as its fulcrum, ultimately they deserved to advance to the semifinals.
But that does not alter the sense of emptiness as you wake up the next morning to the realization that England UEFA EURO 2012 campaign is over - and so is mine.
When he arrived in Poland for 27 days, I had no idea what to expect. I had heard that Krakow is a beautiful city and certainly did not disappoint on that front, but I, like everyone else, was reluctant to predict how it would go to England, under a manager installed just weeks before the competition began.
Given that this was my first tournament with England, I was greatly excited accumulation, but unsure how things pan out on the floor. So I met with such kindness and respect for the Football Association (FA) was a delight.
From the outset, Mark and Stuart's FA media team did their best to accommodate us, despite numerous requests from other places. Needless to say, it was a pleasure both professionally and personally to interview people like Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Scott Parker. I was also lucky enough to sit with the England manager, Roy Hodgson, on three occasions - a privilege most of the media world could only dream of.
At all times players and staff of the participants were willing and friendly, painting a picture quite different from what emerged in South Africa two years ago. As a reporter camping equipment, I was able to witness first hand what a unified group of England are. There were plenty of jokes healthy workouts and press conferences of the players who did always spoke openly and with good humor.
This spirit translated onto the field as England stood firm against France before edging past Sweden and Ukraine to reach the later stages. There were faced by a superior selection of Italy, who bravely refused again and again before finally being sent off in the penalty shootout.
It was a cruel and abrupt end to British hopes, but without losing in regulation and a number of promising youngsters gain valuable tournament experience, Hodgson certainly has a firm foundation to build in the future.
Everyone said he would go to penalties - and he did. Unfortunately, the book form was faithful, and the sixth time in seven shootings in major tournaments, was England, who drew the short straw.
This time, at least, the pain was eased somewhat by the knowledge that, at night, the best team won. Italy were dominant for 120 minutes in Kiev, creating far the best opportunities and, with the evergreen Andrea Pirlo as its fulcrum, ultimately they deserved to advance to the semifinals.
But that does not alter the sense of emptiness as you wake up the next morning to the realization that England UEFA EURO 2012 campaign is over - and so is mine.
When he arrived in Poland for 27 days, I had no idea what to expect. I had heard that Krakow is a beautiful city and certainly did not disappoint on that front, but I, like everyone else, was reluctant to predict how it would go to England, under a manager installed just weeks before the competition began.
Given that this was my first tournament with England, I was greatly excited accumulation, but unsure how things pan out on the floor. So I met with such kindness and respect for the Football Association (FA) was a delight.
From the outset, Mark and Stuart's FA media team did their best to accommodate us, despite numerous requests from other places. Needless to say, it was a pleasure both professionally and personally to interview people like Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Scott Parker. I was also lucky enough to sit with the England manager, Roy Hodgson, on three occasions - a privilege most of the media world could only dream of.
At all times players and staff of the participants were willing and friendly, painting a picture quite different from what emerged in South Africa two years ago. As a reporter camping equipment, I was able to witness first hand what a unified group of England are. There were plenty of jokes healthy workouts and press conferences of the players who did always spoke openly and with good humor.
This spirit translated onto the field as England stood firm against France before edging past Sweden and Ukraine to reach the later stages. There were faced by a superior selection of Italy, who bravely refused again and again before finally being sent off in the penalty shootout.
It was a cruel and abrupt end to British hopes, but without losing in regulation and a number of promising youngsters gain valuable tournament experience, Hodgson certainly has a firm foundation to build in the future.
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