体坛英语新闻：England fails to qualify for Euro 2008

LONDON  - A nightmare evening for goalkeeper Scott Carson and a late goal by Croatia substitute Mladen Petric combined to ensure England will miss out on Euro 2008 after a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat at Wembley on Wednesday.

England manager Steve McClaren watches his team lose 3-2 to Croatia in a Group E Euro 2008 Qualifying game at Wembley, in north London. England has failed to qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament. [Agencies]

Having fought back from conceding two goals inside the first quarter of an hour to get to within 13 minutes of the draw that would have taken them to Austria and Switzerland, England saw their qualification hopes shattered by Petric's 25-yard shot.

It was a defeat that has almost certainly ensured that McClaren's 15-month reign as England manager will come to an abrupt end.

But when asked if he would resign McClaren told Sky News: "No. I have no intention of doing that. I pick the team and said over the 12 games I would be judged and I will be.

"Obviously it's not for me to decide, I'm not discussing anything at this present moment.

"I am not looking to the future, I am thinking about this game, what could have been, what wasn't, and really how we get over this."

Having opted to axe his usual first-choice goalkeeper Paul Robinson, McClaren had to watch in disbelief as a horrendous blunder by Carson on his first competitive appearance for his country gifted Niko Kranjcar a goal after only seven minutes.

Ivica Olic then doubled Croatia's lead and despite a fightback that yielded a Frank Lampard penalty and an equaliser from Peter Crouch, England could have little complaint about the final outcome.

Israel's last-minute winner against Russia may have reduced the scale of England's task but it was one that had to be accomplished in the absence of Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen and the first-choice centreback pairing of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry.

There was no place for David Beckham in the improvised starting line-up that resulted, McClaren opting instead for the pace of Shaun Wright-Phillips.

A bright start by the Chelsea winger suggested the hapless manager may have got that judgement right but it only took a little over seven minutes for the gamble inherent in his other big selection call to be exposed.

Kranjcar did not appear to represent any great danger as he picked up a crossfield pass in the inside left channel, nearly 40 yards from goal.

And although he was able to sidestep Micah Richards with ease, the Portsmouth midfielder could never have expected that a hopeful shot struck only slightly to Carson's left would would find the back of the net.

That it did may have been partly due to the fact that it spun off the sodden turf just in front of the goalkeeper, but he will be judged harshly for failing to get his body properly behind the ball.

England's predictably furious response should have yielded an equaliser three minutes later but, after an incisive run by Joe Cole and a deft lay-off from Crouch, Wright-Phillips placed his shot from 12 yards straight at Stipe Pletikosa in Croatia's goal.

Another chance went begging -- Crouch failing to connect cleanly with a low cutback from the overlapping Richards at the near post -- before Croatia produced a clinical counter-attack to claim a two goal lead inside quarter of an hour.

Eduardo Da Silva was the architect. An aerial one-two with Olic on the half-way line allowed the Arsenal forward to advance to the edge of the area before slipping a pass between Sol Campbell and Joleon Lescott.

Olic had continued his run and the quality of Eduardo's pass ensured he barely had to break his stride as he went round Carson and tapped the ball into the empty net.

The extent of the goalkeeper's stage fright was underlined three minutes before the break, when he spilled a shot from Luka Modric.

By that stage, McClaren had no option but to try something different and it was no surprise that Wright-Phillips and Gareth Barry made way for Beckham and Jermain Defoe at the interval.

Beckham's entry in particular appeared to rally the home supporters back behind their team and England got the break they needed 11 minutes into the second half, when Josip Simunic needlessly tugged at Defoe's shirt as he chased a Joe Cole cross, handing Lampard the chance to send Pletikosa the wrong way from the spot.

The tide was turning England's way but they still required Carson to partially redeem himself for his first-half error with a superb reflex save to keep out Olic's powerful header from a corner that had been conceded by a Wayne Bridge clearance that shaved the top of his own crossbar.

The outstanding Olic forced another good save from the Aston Villa goalkeeper after dispossessing Bridge on the edge of the box before England got back on level terms with 25 minutes left.

An interception by Richards gave Beckham the time to lift his head and find Crouch, who took the ball on his chest and volleyed in his 14th goal in 24 England appearances from close range.

Suddenly England looked safe but they had reckoned without the desire of Croatia's substitutes to make their mark at Wembley.

With 13 minutes left, Petric took a pass from Dnijel Prajic and, from 25 yards out, fired a shot across Carson and into the opposite corner of the net. This time there was no way back for England.