[youtube=http://youtu.be/6DaPAP6fSkI]
It’s been called England’s most stellar performance since the team took the World Cup thirty years earlier. A tie in this final group game would have would put both sides through to the knockout round, but England was in no mood to be forgiving hosts. England was already winning at half-time thanks to Alan Shearer’s penalty. But nobody could predict what was coming: England needed only 11 second half minutes to score three more times. Suddenly, the situation looked even bleaker for a talented Dutch side as, in the other group game, Scotland’s lead meant that the Dutch were headed home early on goal difference. But Dutch substitute Patrick Kluivert came off the bench to net the goal which eliminated the Scots. With England’s local rivals now out of the tournament, it was pretty much the perfect night for the country which gave football to the world.