The 2014 World Cup have lost another heavyweight.
*Costa Rica's shock win over Italy means England are now officially out of the World Cup
Or have they?
Is England, despite being a former World Cup winner thanks to winning the tournament in 1966, still really a heavyweight of football after so many underwhelming performances at tournaments in recent years since making the World Cup Semifinals in 1990?
So should we really be surprised that England are out of the World Cup again following another underwhelming performance in a game that they had to win?
England deserved to lose against Uruguay, a side supposedly poor, out-of-form, disorganized, found out by so called lesser opposition in the form of Costa Rica. Yes, Uruguay appear to be very much a one man team, a cast of average bit players to support one superstar striker in Luis Suarez.
Which just shows you how poor England have been in this World Cup.There is youth in the side but there is a lack of cutting edge up front - Suarez's rise to key talisman for club and country just shows you what the problem is with English football at the moment.
Moreover, their defence, which in so many World Cups, has been such a bedrock thanks to the likes of Tony Adams, Terry Butcher, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, John Terry, etc. has been decidedly porous in this tournament, found culpable against quality strikers like Mario Balotelli and Luis Suarez.
Phil Jagielka may have experience but is clearly not world class, found out so many times at this level. Gary Cahill has had a solid first World Cup but definitely needs a decent partner, but there really isn't one really crying out for selection - Phil Jones, Chris Smalling are a bit out of form, while John Stones and Andre Wisdom are far too young.
On the bright side, Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana boosted their rising reputations at this World Cup. It's a shame that they might not have many games left at this World Cup to show what they can really do - although if Italy and Costa Rica play out to a draw which many expect they will after watching Uruguay beat England, Roy Hodgson - whose future is also in question if this ends up being England's worst performance at a World Cup finals since 1958 - will probably end up playing the kids in their last meaningless encounter against Costa Rica.
So England look set to bow out - along with Cameroon, Japan and Greece who played out a poor 0-0 draw, they have been one of the more forgettable performances of this World Cup.
Unlike a certain James Rodriguez who has really been one of the revelations of this World Cup. Radamel Falcao is now pretty much a distant memory for Colombia while the man whose name is pronounced Hamis has been lighting up this World Cup.
Forget Monaco, how about Real Madrid or Barcelona?
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