Football Dispatch

Summer Football
20 June 2007
England were dealt a heartbreaking defeat to Holland in the semi-final of the EURO Under-21 Championship, today. If anything, the loss only reinforces what followers of the Three Lions have known for time immemorial -- that England cannot win a penalty shoot-out to save their lives. Still, Stuart Pearce and his squad of youngsters were on the cusp of celebrations in Herenveen. Reading striker Leroy Lita paced his side to a 1-0 lead in the 39th-minute -- an advantage which England held until the final moments of normal time. In the 89th-minute however, with the 24,000 supporters packed inside Abe Lenstra Stadion holding their collective breath, Maceo Rigters equalized for The Netherlands. About 40-minutes later, Gianni Zuiverloon converted his team's 13th spot-kick of the contest after Anton Ferdinand hit the bar on England's corresponding attempt.

Obafemi Martins may think twice before opting out of an international friendly next time around. The Newcastle and Nigeria forward was accosted by gunmen in Lagos, yesterday, and barely escaped with his life. His companion sustained gunshot wounds. Martins' Mercedes was halted by an armed gang as it departed his condo in the Nigerian capital. He immediately fled the vehicle after the windshield was sprayed with bullets. His assailants, however, did not steal the Mercedes -- reinforcing the view that the attack was inspired by Martins' refusal to play for Nigeria in a recent friendly match ahead of the summer's African Cup of Nations. "Maybe someone up there loves me more than I could imagine," Martins reflected after the incident, "because only he could explain what happened."