Two years prior to the 2006 World Cup, Portugal cruelly eliminated England in the quarter final of the European Championship tournament via a penalty shootout contest it will probably come as no great surprise, but devastating shootouts become quite the theme throughout this list. So drawing Portugal in the quarter final of the World Cup appeared to be the perfect way to implement revenge. Did Sven-Göran Erikssons side get their vengeance? Nope, they lost again on penalties; leaving the nation with a sickening feeling of déjà vu. The Three Lions managed to convert no more than one penalty in a shocking display of spot kicks that finished 3-1 to the Portuguese. The deciding penalty was converted by Cristiano Ronaldo, who was also involved in the biggest controversy of the night. Wayne Rooney was shown a red card in the 62nd minute after tussling with two Portugal players for the ball; this would include Rooney stamping on Ricardo Carvalhos manhood. The incident didn't seem overly malicious and a straight red was probably harsh, but it was a certain Cristiano Ronaldo that would prove to generate all the headlines for his own role in the dismissal of the England striker. The Portuguese winger harassed the referee seconds after the incident, demanding Rooney was punished. He was then caught on camera winking to the bench, indicating that he was very proud of the part he played in Rooneys sending off. The fans did not let Ronaldo get off lightly and the Manchester United player was booed out of every Premier League stadium the following season.
A wrestling enthusiast, currently educating the youth of Taiwan English; there are now a bunch of Asian kids running around with Yorkshire accents. Read about that trip and others at dragonstravel.com.
