Never can an England team have performed more bravely than the 10 men who lost to Argentina on penalties in one of the truly great World Cup matches.

It was wild and wonderful, it was dramatic and draining, it was simply, heartbreakingly sensational.

Each of those 10 men, who abttled understrength with one of the world's top sides for more than an hour, deseerves a medal - they ran until their lungs burst and their legs ached.

They were simply magnificent - David Beckham was simply a disgrace. He should hang his head in shame this morning after letting England down in the biggest game of his life.

He deserves to have the Three Lions stripped from his shirt for an act of crass stupidity when he got himself sent off for kicking out at Argentinian captain Diego Simeone.

So let's not blame the courageous David Batty for missing the penalty that cost England a place in the quarter-finals. Let's instead blame Beckham's peevish and sly kick.

It let down an English defence which had stood rock solid against one of football's most awsome strike forces.

It let down Glen Hoddle, who had restored Beckham to the team and re-built his World Cup dream.

It let down Michael Owen, at 18 the youngest England player, and yet the one about whom the headlines should all be on this captivating night after he scored one of the truely memorable World Cup goals.

It let down every English player who ran until he dropped to try to make up for Beckham's rash and reckless actions.

In short, the moment Beckham saw red he let down a nation.

But the worst thing Beckham will have to live with is that his aberration took the shine off an England performance of quite compelling courage and sparkle. It was a performance which said they could have won the World Cup.

There just aren't enough superlatives around to describe this quite breath-taking match. It was seething with passion, simmering with menace, splattered with skill and overflowing with emotion. In one wonderously swift, piercing run, Michael Owen had gone from excellent prospect to wonderkid to world superstar.

England's one consolation is that when the World Cup trophy is presented on July 12th, the may well have fallen to the champions. That, however, should be no consolation to Beckham.