Worst England moment at a World Cup Finals

JohnBoyUK

Italia 90 - Shilton being lobbed by the deflection off Paul Parker and not getting anywhere near the penalties.  Like nowhere near.  He was a bus ride late on most of them.

Mexico 86 - 6ft Shilton getting out-jumped by a little Argentinian fella who was only 5ft 5 FFS.

Sorry, I know people rave about Shilton as a goalkeeper but he was absolute dross.  I still remember being at WHL when Gazza knocked a hat trick of free kicks past him in the same game, think that was either 88 or 89.

Chris_from_Sidcup

Personally i don't get too annoyed by tournaments i don't think we would've won.

Croatia in 2018 i don't think we'd have beaten France.
2002 we weren't better than Brazil. Even when they went down to 10 men we still didn't look better than them.

Has to be Italia 90, the first tournament i remember and we'd definitely have had a good chance in the final.

cafctom

Every time I see England go out of a tournament it hurts like hell. 

Every one I’ve seen England in going back to 98 is accompanied by a proper raw feeling at time of elimination.

I know it’s not a World Cup, but losing the Final at Wembley in the Euros last year is the one I’ll never get over. That one will always sting.

The Equaliser

Getting tear gassed in Sardinia 1990 before the Holland game

horace

With Southgate in charge get use to being 1-0 and trying to hang on defensively. It's what we've done in the last 2 majors. Gets my goat.

paulsturgess

2002 Ronaldinho goal was definitely the sharpest pain for me as it felt like we could win that like VG said.

On a personal level going all the way to Brazil 2014 for the dream World Cup with Tickets for R2 knockout game in Rio… and being the first team knocked out of the entire tournament in the group stage… was an all too familiar feeling of inevitable, charlton-esque disappointment 

Friend Or Defoe

1970 is probably the right answer. Maradona's hand ball probably second.

Not getting the Shilton hate he was a world class goalie, people forget how hopeless Chris Woods was for England. It's impossible to jump high when your back stepping (Parker OG). In hindsight bringing on Beasant would have been a good move but when else has a goalie been blamed? A professional player like Waddle (and Bailey) not being able to hit the target is inexcusable. He nearly scored from the halfway line during the match! That said Shilton was completely at blame in the 3rd place playoff.

Not being at '94 is the one that hurt the most in my memory and not getting out of the groups in 2014.

usetobunkin

Shilton failing to save the shot from outside the area against Poland in 73 and us not qualifying for the finals. 
Was the most overated keeper we ever had, Clemance , Corrigan, and Woods all equal and in most cases better

thai malaysia addick

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Personally i don't get too annoyed by tournaments i don't think we would've won.

Croatia in 2018 i don't think we'd have beaten France.
2002 we weren't better than Brazil. Even when they went down to 10 men we still didn't look better than them.

Has to be Italia 90, the first tournament i remember and we'd definitely have had a good chance in the final.

I think that’s a good point. That’s probably why 1970 and 1990 still make me feel bad. I saw 2018 as a ‘bonus run’ and, as you say, we would have lost to France.

MrOneLung

usetobunkin said:

Shilton failing to save the shot from outside the area against Poland in 73 and us not qualifying for the finals. 
Was the most overated keeper we ever had, Clemance , Corrigan, and Woods all equal and in most cases better

I would have had Clemence too. 

Blame Ron Greenwood I’m not having a number 1 and Clemence and Shilton alternating games until Spain 82 when Shilton said he would no longer alternate 

Dazzler21

I'd say it was people hanging and burning effigies of one of our own players at France 98.

pettgra

Losing to Germany in the 1970 World Cup. Taking Bobby Charlton off for Colin Bell was the game changer.
Tbf Bell played well, it just seemed that some of our other  players were just plain knackered.

Six-a-bag-of-nuts

pettgra said:

Losing to Germany in the 1970 World Cup. Taking Bobby Charlton off for Colin Bell was the game changer.
Tbf Bell played well, it just seemed that some of our other  players were just plain knackered.

Beckenbaur himself put the German victory down to Bobby Charlton's substitution.
The pair of them were nullifying each other, but with Charlton gone the Kaiser had the freedom to roam and he changed the game

iaitch

Weber scoring an injury time equaliser in 66, I was 10 at the time so seemed tragic.

thai malaysia addick

iaitch said:

Weber scoring an injury time equaliser in 66, I was 10 at the time so seemed tragic.

Ah yes. Good call. At the time, it seemed like the end of the world. Of course, the end result nullified the pain.

Chris_from_Sidcup

thai malaysia addick said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Personally i don't get too annoyed by tournaments i don't think we would've won.

Croatia in 2018 i don't think we'd have beaten France.
2002 we weren't better than Brazil. Even when they went down to 10 men we still didn't look better than them.

Has to be Italia 90, the first tournament i remember and we'd definitely have had a good chance in the final.

I think that’s a good point. That’s probably why 1970 and 1990 still make me feel bad. I saw 2018 as a ‘bonus run’ and, as you say, we would have lost to France.

But would we have beaten Brazil in 1970? Aren't they considered the best international side of all time?

bobmunro

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

thai malaysia addick said:

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

Personally i don't get too annoyed by tournaments i don't think we would've won.

Croatia in 2018 i don't think we'd have beaten France.
2002 we weren't better than Brazil. Even when they went down to 10 men we still didn't look better than them.

Has to be Italia 90, the first tournament i remember and we'd definitely have had a good chance in the final.

I think that’s a good point. That’s probably why 1970 and 1990 still make me feel bad. I saw 2018 as a ‘bonus run’ and, as you say, we would have lost to France.

But would we have beaten Brazil in 1970? Aren't they considered the best international side of all time?

Probably not, but bear in mind it was a close game when we played them in the group and I think we deserved a draw. That was a very good England side, but of course Brazil were exceptional.

Big_Bad_World

World Cup 2022 if either Harry Maguire or Tyrone Mings are selected.

oohaahmortimer

How could anyone expect us to beat the Argies on pens in 1998 when we’d just won the miracle penalty shootout  at Wembley ourselves … greedy
I expected to lose having won the one that mattered and as sad as it was the glory Curb years had just begun and nothing could be painful after promotion to the Prem 

Doomer Jon

I thought 2006 was our best opportunity for a generation. There were no stand out teams and we should have beat Portugal even after Rooney was sent off. Lost on penalties. Remember thinking at the time, I would never see us win a world cup. Have no faith it will happen this year sadly. 

valleynick66

Memory may be playing tricks but not bringing on Trevor Brooking and Keegan as substitutes because of injury concerns. 1982.