I agree Malling "well done ladies"

gutted for them..hooked me in too

Same here, well done the Ladies, much guts then the Mens Team.
And now Hope Powell may quit as Coach, if she does, what a job she has done.

You're complaining because the England Ladies were useless at taking penalties while the French weren't?

From what I saw watching the game, the French were by far the best team overall and just because England 'put up a good fight' doesn't mean they deserved to advance to the semi-finals.

BTW...other than Family, boyfriends and 'groupies'...just what percentage of the crowd were made up of true football followers? I would say no more than 10%.

Any takers?

Yes, I think this article is a bit over the top. The better team won.

I think the ladies did well to take France to penalties because for most of the game France were superior to England. Technically it was clear they were better and England went for the long ball too much and to an isolated Ellen White.

But well done to England for getting this far and women's football can only grow as a result of the exposure that the team and the game has had.

I wouldn't deny that the French were the better side, technically. Indeed I never suggested otherwise.

In fact it is interesting how the ladies' game seems already to be replicating the national stereotypes familiar from the mens' game. Thus England Ladies are plucky box-to-boxers, brave, strong and never-say-die, who do not often think of doing other than hit the long ball. The French ladies are quicker on the ball, more gifted individually, tactically more acute. And prettier, dammit.

I admit I wrote the article in the flush of intense disappointment and frustration, and that probably shows. But I am very proud of how England fought for it, and still feel that they "deserved" to win, whatever that means, on account of their whole-hearted committment and sheer guts.

The best team won in France. Fed up with this brave/plucky/fighting losing England stuff all the time.

We're all fed up with the "losing" part of that formula. It's unfair to discount the rest of it, though.