We all said it would go to penalties – and it did. Sadly the form book remained true and for the sixth time in seven shoot-outs at major tournaments, it was England who drew the short straw.
This time, at least, the pain was eased somewhat by the knowledge that, on the night, the better team won. Italy were dominant over 120 minutes in Kyiv, creating far the better chances and, with the evergreen Andrea Pirlo as their fulcrum, ultimately they deserved to progress to the semi-finals.
Still, that doesn't alter the feeling of emptiness as you wake up the following morning to the realisation that England's UEFA EURO 2012 campaign is over – and so is mine.
When I arrived in Poland 27 days ago, I had no idea what to expect. I'd been told that Krakow was a beautiful city and certainly wasn't disappointed on that front, but I, like everyone else, was reticent to predict how England would fare under a manager installed just weeks before the competition began.
Given that this was my first tournament with England, I was hugely excited in the build-up but also uncertain of how things would pan out on the ground. So to be met with such friendliness and respect from the Football Association (FA) was a real delight.
From the word go, Mark and Stuart from the FA media team did their very best to accommodate us in spite of countless requests from elsewhere. Needless to say, it was a pleasure both professionally and personally to interview the likes of Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Scott Parker. I was also fortunate enough to sit down with the England manager, Roy Hodgson, on three occasions – a privilege most of the world's media could only dream of.
At all times the players and staff were willing and courteous participants, painting quite a different picture to that which emerged in South Africa two years ago. As team camp reporter, I was able to witness first-hand what a unified bunch the England squad are. There was plenty of healthy banter at training sessions and in press conferences the players who spoke always did so openly and with good humor.
That spirit translated on to the pitch as England held firm against France before edging past Sweden and Ukraine to reach the latter stages. There they were faced by a superior Italy side, who they valiantly denied time and again before finally being ousted in the shoot-out.It was a cruel and abrupt end to English hopes, but with no defeats in regulation time and a number of promising youngsters gaining valuable tournament experience, Hodgson certainly has a firm base to build on for the future.
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