Amid the furore surrounding Germany’s belated bloom and the invasion of England fans into the host nation, one set of players have come and gone with barely a whisper.

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Mike Martin on why Portugal’s progress continues to leave a sour taste in the mouth…
There’ll be an interesting conversation in a few weeks between Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and a certain Portuguese winger at Old Trafford. Cristiano Ronaldo has never been a particularly popular player in England, but his role in soliciting Wayne Rooney’s dismissal, coupled with his winning penalty, could result in him receiving a similar reception to David Beckham after the 1998 tournament in France.

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Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign has been a catastrophe from which a road of ruin remains and his belated buoyancy and arrogance does not shy emphasis away from a drowsy administration that provided minimal progress in terms of improving England’s resolve and mentality.

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The news Horacio Elizondo will boss England’s quarter-final with Portugal is a relief to England’s players and fans who will have someone to blame if even a minor decision goes against the team.

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Though each match has a solid favorite, upsets are sure to occur, says Emmett Williams.

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France confounded the critics by coming from behind to beat Spain; if Thierry Henry joins Zidane and Vieira in hitting top form, then beating Brazil is possible.

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A marathon victory over Switzerland in the most dire of games took Ukraine, incredibly, to the World Cup quarter-finals on their debut appearance. Olga Sellars reports from Ukraine on the reaction to the victory.

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Mike Martin on the World Cup’s latest moment of shame…
The World Cup needed two great matches to conclude Round 2, after the dross served up by Switzerland and Ukraine on Monday night. Brazil v Ghana was a wonderful display of open, positive football and Spain v France was a rollercoaster of a match, with France’s late win almost constituting a shock.

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