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WORLD CUP 2010: ROUND OF 16: GERMANY 4 ENGLAND 1:THE BIG pieces of hardware lining the roads in Bloemfontein to promote the local military museum set just the tone the English fans like to adopt for clashes with their old enemy. If they viewed the Free State Stadium as a battleground yesterday, though, few of those who had travelled so far to support Fabio Capello’s side can have avoided the conclusion that his side were completely routed over the course of their latest 90 minutes engagement with the Germans.

Full of optimism that they could get the better of an unusually inexperienced German side, England ended up suffering their heaviest ever defeat at the hands of the three times world champions, conceding four goals for the first time into the bargain.