England's loss hits fans hard City supporters mourn World Cup defeat By TODD SAELHOF -- Calgary Sun Sun, July 2, 2006

Canada Day was supposed to bring smiles to the faces of the city's English soccer fans, but instead they were kicked in the teeth.

England backers around Calgary were heartbroken by their team's exit from the 2006 World Cup after yesterday's loss to Portugal in a quarter-final thriller.

But many, like longtime fan Laurence Taylor, were resigned to the result once the match went into penalty kicks, since England has never won a World Cup shootout session.

"An English person knows when we go to penalty kicks, we're going to lose," said Taylor, after watching his team fall 3-1 in the shootout.

The only England player to score was Calgary native Owen Hargreaves, which ignited a roar among fans at Bottoms Up Sports Pub, 3220 17 Ave. S.W.

Hargreaves, a graduate of the Calgary minor soccer system, was named man of the match.

"Give it up for the Calgary boy -- he's the only one that hit the net," said the 55-year-old England-born Taylor, who knew his side was offensively challenged after striker Wayne Rooney was tossed from the game early in the second half.

"Being one man down in soccer is not that important, but when you lose your best player, it makes a difference -- especially after David Beckham was hurt earlier in the match."

The blow of losing both stars coupled with a lacklustre effort at times in the tournament left England fans, like Chris Leightell, bitterly disappointed.

"It's rubbish," said 39-year-old Leightell among dejected England fans at the Ship & Anchor Pub, 534 17 Ave. S.W.

"We've never had a better team since 1966, but Portugal always seems to come out of nowhere, and they have a history of always beating England in important matches."