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Hodgson’s England Dare to Dream They Can Toil All the Way to Euro 2012 Glory
Published: June 20, 2012
It wasn't pretty.
Theirs was not the way of the tiki-taka. England's possession and passing numbers will not be drooled over like those of the beloved Barcelona and their impressionists, Spain. And you won't see England's first three games being eulogized for their elegant beauty.
Alright, you won't see their first three games being eulogized at all.
But two wins and a draw put Roy Hodgson's men into the last eight. And, when you consider the soiled mess Hodgson inherited from Fabio Capello when he took over on May 1 and the problems he's faced since, that's no small achievement.
England have, at the very least, been devastatingly dogged. Scott Parker and Steven Gerrard have waged workmanlike war in midfield, and James Milner has covered more yards than some of the fans in Poland and Ukraine this summer.
Tackles upon tackles. Blocks upon blocks. There were times during England's 1-0 win over Ukraine you half-expected Parker or Gerrard to drop to their knees and throw up—such was their epic commitment to the cause.
Hard work goes a long way, so they say. And in England's case, their reward is steady Euro 2012 progress that will have even the most cynical fans in football contemplating an unlikely triumph.
Suddenly Hodgson has an England team three games away from cleansing a nation's tortured soul.
The first, against Cesare Prandelli's Italy, is tough but definitely winnable. The second, should they advance, will likely be against Germany—a familiar foe who so emphatically dispatched Capello's team at the last World Cup.
But this England team seems unlikely to roll over so easily. Who knows, this England team might even have a game plan to frustrate Germany and go all the way to the final—especially if Wayne Rooney comes...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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