Eriksson sorry for England as reign ends in heartbreak
2/7/2006 10:49
Sven-Goran Eriksson said sorry to England team and fans as his
68-game spell as England manager was over after the 3-1 loss to Portugal on
penalty shootout in their World Cup quarter-final in Gelsenkirchen on
Sunday.
"Sorry for the team, Sorry for the fans, because without them, we
could not make here. I don't think we deserved to lose and I think the boys
deserved better," Eriksson said.
The Swede paid tribute to his players who
were forced to play with 10 men for almost an hour after after Wayne Rooney was
sent off.
The England coach said: "I must say they fought enormously when it
was 10 against 11. We started the second half very well and controlled the game
exactly what we wanted to do."
Eriksson believed Wayne Roony's sending off
became the turning point of the game.
"Then there was the sending off. We
held the game up very well and lost on penalties again and I'm really sorry
about that," Eriksson added.
The Man-United forward wrestled for the ball
with Ricardo Carvalho on the halfway line and stamped on the defender's crotch
in the 62rd minute.
"I don't think we deserved to lose and I think the boys
deserved better. But we lost the game and went out of the tournament and that
hurts incredibly," added Eriksson.
Xinhua
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