England U21 0 Germany U21 4

England U21 0 Germany U21 4: Read a full match report from the Uefa Under-21 Championship final between England and Germany at Malmö New Stadium, Malmö, Sweden on Monday June 29, 2009.

More Gotterdammerung for England and this one was even composed by Wagner. The Duisburg striker, Sandro Wagner, struck twice as Germany turned the Uefa Under-21 Championship lights out on England. How embarrassing. England were utterly outclassed. Don’t mention the four.

People will look for scapegoats and point accusing fingers at Scott Loach for the way he let in Mesut Ozil’s free-kick, Germany’s killer second following Gonzalo Castro’s opener. England’s problems lie deeper than that. Victory leaves the Germans as European champions at Under-17, Under-19 and now Under-21 level, reminding the Football Association of the importance of cranking up the production line of young talent.

Some players have done well out here, like James Milner, Kieran Gibbs, Micah Richards and Jack Rodwell, but England boasted nobody of the class of Ozil, born in Gelsenkirchen, scene of past English pain. Ozil is a real No 10, England’s Mark Noble merely an honest, hard-working midfielder.

Before the blockade was broken by Castro after 23 minutes, England had appeared to have settled well, moving the ball around promisingly with Theo Walcott looking lively, yet England still cried out for a target-man, someone to hold the ball up. Unfortunately, Gabby Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell were sitting in the stands, suspended along with Hart. They watched intently, frustratedly, as England slowly dissolved. The ball kept coming back and the Germans were efficient in possession.

The Germans themselves made light of missing a banned striker, Ashkan Dejagah, and Horst Hrubesch’s players looked incredibly relaxed when wandering through Malmo’s cobbled centre on Sunday evening, Sami Khedira and Andreas Beck stopping for coffees and soft drinks while Pearce’s boys were tucked up in beds.

Hrubesch also exuded calm because he had devised a plan to combat England’s strength at set-pieces. Germany’s coach started Mats Hummels, the chunky Borussia Dortmund midfielder who shone in a first half most notable for Castro’s splendid strike. Hummels was immediately called into action, heading out a long ball from Loach, Watford’s keeper who was turning out for Stafford Rangers two years ago. Hummels then made a saving tackle when Walcott burst through.

The Arsenal winger had started through the middle, briefly creating problems with his pace, particularly when Andreas Beck misjudged a pass and Walcott was away, flying into the box and stopped only by Hummels. Again. With Hummels in such defiant mood, Germany wore a resilient look and their defensive control was soon embellished with some elegant touches and movement.

The outstanding Ozil, who was to inflict such pain early in the second period, created Germany’s opener, drifting towards the edge of the box, the ball glued to his foot before he slipped a superb pass through to Castro, who was darting behind Martin Cranie.

The Bayer Leverkusen player had embarrassed England’s defence with his well-timed runs before, scoring in the group-stage draw, and his finish past Loach was equally expert, the ball bent with the outside of his right foot into the net.

The Wuppertal-born son of Spanish parents, Castro clearly enjoyed pulling on the red strip, which resembled Spain’s attire with a black tyre-mark down the front. Germany have had red as their second strip ever since Jurgen Klinsmann was in charge of the seniors, believing that it made his team look more aggressive. With England toothless in attack, Germany hardly needed to be that warrior-like.

England had been hoping to wear the red of ’66 and they received another disappointment when Fabio Capello failed to show, apparently delayed in South Africa, apparently not realising how rarely England reach finals. Members of the senior dressing-room showed their support, texts buzzing in from John Terry, David Beckham and Ashley Cole.

What they needed most was a centre-forward and Pearce must surely have considered pushing Micah Richards forward. Pearce did make a switch at the break but it was removing Nedum Onuoha for Michael Mancienne, with the Chelsea defender told to bring the ball out of defence.

Mancienne did glide forward impressively on the hour, creating an opportunity for Lee Cattermole, who clipped the bar, but Germany were two goals clear by then. Mancienne was at fault, climbing all over Wagner, conceding a cheap free-kick. England's players had failed to heed Pearce’s warning of ensuring they were “cuter’’ and “streetwise’’.

Wagner went down, stayed down until he had the free-kick, and Ozil fancied his chances from 35 yards out. England’s wall was poor, not strong enough, yet Ozil’s ball still moved from side to side. Loach dived to his right, seemingly having read the ball’s intentions, before it moved cruelly the other way. Loach flicked out a despairing left hand, catching it slightly but failing to take the sting out of it and the ball dropped over the line.

England tried to recover, tried to rage against the fading of their European light, and Milner, commendably, led the charge, dribbling brilliantly into the box and setting up a chance for Adam Johnson, whose effort was blocked by Beck. The Hoffenheim full-back then cleared Cattermole’s header off the line.

And then came Wagner, twice cutting in from the left to score, first with his left foot and then his right. Even an average German striker is two-footed. England went out meekly – but with plenty of lessons.

Match details

Germany (4-1-4-1): Neuer; Beck, Hoewedes, Boateng, Boernisch; Hummels; Johnson (Schwaab 68), Castro, Khedira, Ozil; Wagner.
Subs: Fromlowitz (g), Aogo, Ebert, Marin, Grote, Adlung, Ben-Hatira, Schmelzer, Ede, Sippel (g).
Booked: Boernisch.
England (4-1-4-1): Loach; Cranie (Gardner 80), Richards, Onuoha (Mancienne h-t), Gibbs; Muamba (Rodwell 77); Milner, Cattermole, Noble, Johnson; Walcott.
Subs: Lewis (g), Taylor, Stearman, Tomkins, Driver, Rose.
Referee: B Kuipers (Netherlands).