Euphoria as England progress to Euro quarterfinals

How 90 minutes can change everything – after last night's 4-2 win over Croatia, England are championship winners in waiting and Wayne Rooney is the next Pele.

Hyperbole attaches itself to an England victory with the same pulsar-repetitive regularity that the word 'obviously' does to a post-match Ray Parlour interview, but England are to some extent deserving of today's media euphoria.

It was the result England's 45,000 fans at the Estadio Da Luz wanted. The Three Lions now progress into a quarterfinal tie against the host nation having produced stylish and ruthlessly efficient football.

England were scintillating in the opposition half last night; their attacks flowed irresistibly into danger areas and at times they produced a pedigree of championship football unseen since Holland's humbling in Euro '96.

Questions remain over England's defence as Croatia enjoyed some success from set pieces - but this will be as a whisper beneath the clamour of media exultation and puns in adulation of the p-Roo-wess of Wayne Rooney.

The 18-year-old's brace, to match his two-goal haul against Switzerland, propelled him to the top of the scoring charts and prompted John Motson to issue comparisons with Pele. Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was more equitable, saying Rooney's has been the greatest impact on a tournament since Pele's 1958 World Cup.

Eriksson added that the teenager was "absolutely fantastic" and had worked hard for his goals.

His captain, David Beckham, who has some experience of dealing with the wunderkind tag, backed Rooney to ignore the attention and remain focused on the task ahead.

The England 'He-Roo!' was, however, not put up for the post-match press conference at the end of the game "in a bid to protect from the unrelenting interest in his every move", the FA said.

Rooney aside, Eriksson will also be pleased to see his midfield chip in with goals at a time when Michael Owen is enduring a lean spell in front of goal.

Paul Scholes ended his three-year 29-game goal drought for the national side with a header on the 40th minute, and Frank Lampard popped up again for a goal on the 79th minute, following Rooney's double strikes on 45 and 68 minutes.

Niko Kovac had put Croatia ahead after scrambling the ball past David James on six minutes and to Croatia's credit they refused to lie down and Juve's Igor Tudor put the pressure back on England with his 74th minute header.

(gmcg)