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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 26, 2026

England Vs. Italy, Euro 2012: Rooney Misses Clear Chance

Well, you can't say this hasn't been fun. England have been very aggressive early on, and despite Joe Hart having his post rattled by Daniele de Rossi almost immediately after kickoff, they've probably been the better side. They should probably have scored already, and the only reasons they haven't are one excellent save by Gianluigi Buffon and then a close-range miss by Wayne Rooney.

The Manchester United forward made an excellent far post run, and Glen Johnson swung in an equally excellent cross, but Rooney ended up blazing a clean header well over the crossbar. There was significant pressure from Ignazio Abate, but Rooney really should have given the Three Lions the lead there. This has actually been an excellent match with both teams playing fluid, intelligent football. Yes, I'm as surprised as you are.

We have live coverage in our England vs. Italy, Euro 2012 quarterfinals StoryStream. For more on Euro 2012 and the entire world of football, follow @SBNationSoccer on Twitter.

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