More pluses than minuses for England

Virtual Replay: 3D animation of Campbell's disallowed goal

By Terry Butcher BBC Radio Five Live expert

England's defeat on penalties to Portugal in the Stadium of Light was heartbreaking - the feeling of losing a game in that manner is indescribable and it will live with the players forever.

Portugal break England hearts Match photos Beckham takes blame

It is even more disappointing because it was an opportunity lost after such a great start with Michael Owen's goal, and then when Frank Lampard brought it back to 2-2.

England also have just cause to feel they were robbed of a goal - and maybe the win - when Sol Campbell's header was disallowed in the dying seconds of normal time.

Campbell seemed to come over the top of John Terry to score. He was certainly nowhere near Ricardo and yet referee Urs Meier gives a foul on the goalkeeper from 18 yards away.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson will regard it as an opportunity lost, but you must give credit to his Portugal counterpart Luiz Felipe Scolari for a bold approach that ultimately proved successful.

In the second half he put four in midfield and four in attack, sometimes keeping it two against two at the back. It was a gung-ho approach, but it needed to be.

It was a routine cross that led to Helder Postiga's late equaliser. John Terry just lost Postiga in only a second's lapse in concentration, but at this level that is all it needs.

And how ironic that it should be Postiga, who has done nothing at Spurs, who scores the crucial equaliser.

England suffered badly with the early injury to Wayne Rooney.

Despite the disappointment of Lisbon, the future is still bright

I thought Owen was outstanding, and it is certainly no criticism of Darius Vassell to say that England missed Rooney - it is just that Everton's teenager has taken the competition by storm.

I wonder whether there was a case for taking a fifth striker to Portugal, maybe Jermain Defoe.

I thought England's best player on Thursday by a mile was Ashley Cole, who was just fantastic.

He has played two wonderful games for England, against Croatia and then Portugal.

It could have all been so different had England got a second goal, but after the break we were forced back and that was down to the tactics of Scolari.

In the overall analysis, once the disappointment subsides I do feel England have had a good tournament.

Eriksson's side will fool only themselves if they believe it was merely ill-fortune that led to their downfall Our man with England

Rooney is a major plus, and his strike partnership with Owen is still a young one, while Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard also did well.

Sol Campbell had an outstanding tournament and I have already spoken about Ashley Cole.

I have to say that by David Beckham's own high standards he has not had a great tournament, and to miss three penalties in succession for England is a real setback for him.

But there is still a lot to take home. There is a nucleus of a very good England squad and they can get themselves back in shape when the qualifying games for the 2006 World Cup start in September.

The squad is not the finished article.

England still need a left-sided player and we are looking for goalkeepers to come through, but I hope Eriksson stays and builds a team for 2006, because despite the disappointment of Lisbon the future is still bright.