No, not again. Perversely, heroically, heart-breakingly, call it what you will, England produced easily their best performance of this World Cup, only to go out of a major tournament on penalties for the fourth time in the past 10 years.

Their record against Luis Felipe Scolari is just as bad — he has been their nemesis in the past two World Cups and Euro 2004 — but this time it was different. In Japan in 2002 and again in Portugal two years ago England could have no complaints, they lost to the better team. That wasn’t the case here. Forced to play for half of the 120 minutes without Wayne Rooney, who was sent off for stamping on Chelsea’s Ricardo Carvalho, a team lambasted for their poor football in previous rounds raised their game in stirring fashion, and created chances to settle the issue without resort to the shootout.

Once it went to the lottery, however, England supporters everywhere feared the worst, and it was on the cards from the moment poor Frank Lampard made a hash of their first attempt from the spot.

Lampard had a lousy tournament, and it was a strange decision to give him the responsibility of going first. Simao had already put Portugal 1-0 up, so England were under pressure from the start. Hugo Viana missed, so when Owen Hargreaves scored it was level. Petit then hit a post to send English hopes soaring, but Steven Gerrard shot too straight, enabling Ricardo to make an easy save, and when Helder Postiga found the net it was 2-1 to Portugal.

Step forward Jamie Carragher, brought on as a late substitute specifically for this eventuality. He buried his kick confidently, only for the referee to order it to be retaken because he had not blown his whistle, and Ricardo’s subsequent save left Cristiano Ronaldo to apply the coup de grace.

England deserved better, but for how long can we continue to say that they are unlucky? And what is it about taking penalties that they find so difficult? Practice makes perfect? Apparently not.

England made the more assertive start, but there was a reminder of Portugal’s attacking potential when Luis Figo’s free kick bounced off Gary Neville’s shins and fell to Tiago, whose poor first touch at close range allowed Rio Ferdinand to shut him out. Lampard then failed by the proverbial whisker to get to a long through pass from Ferdinand. It was cagey stuff, nip and tuck, but England were giving as good as they got.

Figo let fly with a shot that flew too close to the far post for England’s comfort, and Carvalho’s header from a corner brought a notable save from Robinson. England fashioned two scoring opportunities of their own just before half-time: David Beckham’s free kick after a foul on Joe Cole went into the defensive wall, then, with the clock showing 45 minutes, Lampard tested Ricardo with a low 20-yarder.

England were out for the start of the second half two minutes before their opponents. The message was the right one — they were eager for the fray. But they got little change from referee Horacio Elizondo when Beckham’s cross hit Nuno Valente’s hand. It was Beckham’s last contribution. The captain limped off after 51 minutes to be replaced by Aaron Lennon.

With Beckham in tears on the bench, his team should have scored. Lampard bounced Gerrard’s corner over from eight yards out; Joe Cole missed an even better chance set up by Lennon. The substitute had lit the fuse and the game exploded three minutes later, when Rooney was sandwiched by Carvalho and Petit and rashly took the law into his own hands. Or rather feet. He stamped on Carvalho as he lay on the ground, then shoved Ronaldo, who had rushed in to worsen an incendiary situation. Cue red card.

Eriksson sent on Crouch in place of Joe Cole to give the attack a focal point and England responded well in adversity, keeping Portugal at bay and threatening on the break.

In the additional half-hour England continued to make light of their numerical disadvantage, and after 98 minutes ought to have scored when Gerrard’s cross might have made a hero of Crouch. Instead he was outmuscled by Petit and failed with his attempted header.

England thought they had a penalty when Lennon took a tumble, but the referee rightly denied the appeal. Postiga, who caused England grief at Euro 2004, appeared to have broken their hearts again, but the header with which he beat Robinson was flagged offside. And so to the dreaded shootout.

England: Robinson, Neville, Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Hargreaves, Beckham (Lennon 51), Gerrard, Lampard, Joe Cole (Crouch 65), Rooney, Lennon (Carragher 118).
Subs Not Used: Campbell, James, Bridge, Jenas, Carrick, Downing, Carson, Walcott.

Sent Off: Rooney (62).

Booked: Terry, Hargreaves.

Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel, Meira, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Figo (Postiga 86), Maniche, Petit, Tiago (Viana 74), Ronaldo, Pauleta (Simao 63).

Subs Not Used: Paulo Ferreira, Caneira, Ricardo Costa, Quim, Boa Morte, Nuno Gomes, Paulo Santos.

Booked: Petit, Ricardo Carvalho.

Att: 52,000.

Ref: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).