It was not the new territory into which Fabio Capello was supposed to lead his squad. This is the heaviest defeat England have ever known at a World Cup finals, outdoing a 4-2 loss to Uruguay in 1954. That is meaningful mostly as a measure of England's terrible fallibility in defence.
The weakest of consolations lies in the recognition that the teams ought to have been level at half-time. In a fixture haunted by history there was a ghost goal. England, from 2-0 behind, had cut the deficit and would have equalised in the 39th minute had the Uruguayan referee Jorge Llarionda or his assistant Mauricio Espinosa noticed Frank Lampard's drive bouncing a foot or two over the line.
As the sides left the field at the interval, David Beckham approached the official and spread his hands like a fisherman showing the size of the one that got away. In addition, you could almost make out the rumble of a German nation snorting that Geoff Hurst's goal in the 1966 World Cup final should not have stood after, allegedly, failing to cross the line.
The match in Bloemfontein offered more than enough to drag thoughts away from the past. Germany were sharper in attack as they exposed the England back four time and again. The opener was a humiliation as a kick-out from the goalkeeper Manuel Neuer saw Miroslav Klose holding off Matthew Upson with ease before scoring in the 20th minute.
Capello's side had no means to keep danger at bay. Germany, working the ball more smoothly, doubled the advantage after 31 minutes as Thomas Müller assembled a one-two with Sami Khedira before Klose swept the ball to the left of the goalmouth, where Lukas Podolski despatched a shot through the legs of David James.
This, nonetheless, is an emerging Germany side rather than the implacable sort of times gone by and England responded simply. Following a short corner, Gerrard clipped a cross that was nodded in by Upson after 37 minutes. A little earlier, Jermain Defoe had nodded against the bar from a Glen Johnson delivery. Although England were behind at the interval, Germany's control wavered for a period.
That trend was apparent when Capello's side struck the woodwork once more, with a 35-yard free-kick from Lampard seven minutes into the second half. As is so often the case with this England line-up, a lack of rhythm and pattern does not stop them from fashion in moments of threat, whether with a set-piece or a quick pass.
There was nothing, all the same, to compare with the technique and composure with which Germany broke to establish a 3-1 advantage in the 67th minute. After Lampard had sent a free-kick into the wall Joachim Löw's side raced away, with Müller finding Schweinsteiger on the left and converting the eventual return ball at the far post.
Müller also took Germany's fourth two minutes later, after Mesut Ozil had gone clear before leaving him to finish. England, for all the exertion, had been a markedly inferior team.
© Guardian News and Media 2010
