After two truly abject performances (admittedly against Algeria and the USA, two recognised giants of the international game), England had a point to prove, and prove it they did! Despite Slovenia's status as one of the toughest, skillful teams in world football, they were easily brushed aside by the staggering genius of Steven Gerrard, the imcomparable skill of Wayne Rooney, and the unmatched passing range of Frank Lampard.
Gerrard's prophecy that Rooney could 'make the world cup his own...like Pele and Maradona' started to come true as the Manchester United player dominated the game with an array of mind-boggling skills that Pele and Maradona could only dream about when they were in their prime.
Just consider the the magnitude of the achievement: England have beaten the amazing, previously unbeatable SLOVENIA, the smallest nation at the World Cup! Hard to believe, isn't it? How many teams can lay claim to such an achievement? And to finish 2nd in what is clearly a group of death is just...well, words fail me.
It is obvious that England are now the clear favourites to win the tournament. Forget the likes of Brazil, Argentina and Spain - England are in a different league, and with the world’s greatest players in Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and Cole, it's theirs to lose.
After the game, Steven Gerrard - the most inspirational England captain in the history of the national team - summed up the mood in the England camp:
"We're not getting carried away, but we fear no one. Why should we? This is England. Beating Slovenia is a magic achievement, and the tournament is ours to lose now. The whole team is floating on air at the moment - Wazza was our Pele today, John was our Beckenbauer, and Frank was our Zidane, and as the tournament progresses, you will see our players surpass the greats of yesteryear and show that we are the greatest players ever to wear the England shirt".
Frank Lampard added:
"Stevie is the star of the World Cup so far; no one can touch him. He's world class, and you saw that today as he dominated the game like no player has ever dominated a game before. I was just privileged to be on the same pitch as him to be honest".
John Terry continued:
"The lads have had a really tough time being pampered over the last week. It has been unbearable - I mean, having so many lackys at our beck and call just gets tiring after a while. We just wanted to get out there and show the world how good we are. I don't think people really appreciate how hard it is to beat Slovenia 1-0. How many teams manage to score a goal against them? The fact that we scored proves that we're the best team in the tournament by far. We deserve this trophy, and we will win it. Football's coming home".
All across England, drunken fans were 'celebrating' in the streets, barely able to conceal their joy at the sheer enormity of England's achievement. The mood of the fans was matched by the British press, who lauded the Three Lions with typically understated headlines such as:
"England on the verge of winning the World Cup!" The Mirror
"Brilliant England show the world how football SHOULD be played!" The Daily Star
"Forget Argentina and Brazil - England are the true stars of the World Cup!" The Daily Mail
Prime Minister David Cameron called a halt to Parliamentary business for the day and decreed that the 23rd of June would henceforth become a national holiday to commemorate England's unforgettable achievement. Wiping tears of joy from his eyes, a clearly awed Mr Cameron observed:
"I can honestly say, without hyperbole, that England put in the finest performance I have ever witnessed by any football team anywhere. Today is a proud day for England".

























