SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - England soccer fans celebrate their team win on Slovenia

Record ID: 455080

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - England soccer fans celebrate their team win on Slovenia
  • Date: 24th June 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLAND SOCCER FAN JOHN LEE SAYING: "Sleeping giants England, they will wake up and will win the World Cup."
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA9ZDP316K5R00X29WK1P2FZL9D
  • Story Text: England soccer fans celebrated on Wednesday (June 23) their World Cup team win over Slovenia and their qualification to the second round of the tournament.
    Striker Jermain Defoe rescued England's stuttering World Cup campaign with a first-half strike that was enough to beat Slovenia 1-0 in Group C and book a place in the second round.
    Slovenia looked as if they would also be going into the knockout stages until the United States grabbed a goal in added time to beat Algeria 1-0 and book their place in the last 16. The results mean Slovenia and Algeria have been eliminated.
    Defoe started for the first time in the tournament and converted James Milner's perfect cross in the 23rd minute to put England ahead and send their suffering fans into a frenzy.
    The English fans left Nelson Mandela Bay stadium singing and dancing and hoping their team performance will get better in second round.
    "It was great game great atmosphere, we played in great spirit and we won by one," John, a soccer fan from England, said.
    "Sleeping giants England, they will wake up and will win the World Cup," John Lee, another soccer fan, said.
    Slovenian fans were disappointed and sad for leaving the tournament.
    "England was better simply that, they scored and we didn't put goals and we lost." Rock, from Slovenia, said.
    England will play the Group D winners -- Ghana, Germany, Serbia or Australia -- on Sunday in Bloemfontein after coming second behind the United States.
    England finished level on five points with the U.S. but were runners-up on goal difference. Slovenia ended their campaign on four points with Algeria on just one point.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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