Remember when England/Germany meant something? Two rivals, on and off the field, the fixture has always brought a certain cache. The history. The footballing pedigree. Some of the biggest names the game has ever seen. The match has always been a statement of intent, with bragging rights on the line between nations no stranger to hostility. The two nations domestic leagues are arguably the most entertaining and watchable in the world. Yet, the quality and play of the national teams are polar opposites. Even now, an England-Germany fixture sizzles on the surface. Until the teams hit the field. A match buried amidst European World Cup qualification playoffs saw a German B team handily beat Englands first team 1-0 Tuesday. The loss was Englands second of the International break and marked the first back-to-back home defeats for the Three Lions dating back to 1977. A friendly is a friendly. You take what you see with a grain of salt, but that doesnt mean true class cant shine through. The way a team plays trumps the scoreline in such a contest. Take for example Brazils 2-1 win over Chile at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Tuesday night. It was a purposeful victory from a team with true ambition. Quality oozed from every move. Luiz Felipe Scolari and his side treated the game as much more than merely a spectacle, this was preparation to contend in 2014. The term "business like" wouldnt do the team justice, no matter who is wearing yellow, each player filled a role and the talent shone through within the context of team-first. The ball movement superior, the team effort near complete. England meanwhile was blasé, failing to threaten throughout. Sound familiar? An England team lacking cutting edge and precision, weve seen it all before. This isnt to compare England and Brazil. Perhaps its somewhat relevant considering England is a spot better, ranked 10th in FIFAs World rankings. Its perception versus reality; England is simply and thoroughly mediocre. Manager Roy Hodgson pointed to Englands inferior passing and finishing as the difference in the loss. Hes absolutely right. The lack of quality in these areas has plagued the team for decades. And even when the team had a finisher like an Alan Shearer, they were missing consistent build-up play and team identity. Nothing has changed in 2013. Remember, this was wasnt Germanys first team were talking about and still, England was out-classed. At home. As tweeted by Rob Harris (@RobHarris) of the Associated Press:"Im going to be an optimist about this" - the tune rings out in Wembley after Englands first consecutive home loss in 36 years. The upbeat lyrics from the track Pompeii by Bastille were preferred to the bands other hit song Flaws. There is very little to be optimistic for England supporters heading into Brazil. Unless the December 6th World Cup draw renders a group with Switzerland, Iran and Algeria, England will be in tough to progress. Even if they do advance, then what? Its plain to see this team is as second rate as other England out-fits dating back to 1990. The team was booed off the field after the final whistle from the remaining beleaguered voices at Wembley. They know this team isnt good enough and if it wasnt for an inferior qualifying group, England could very well have been taking part in a playoff match Tuesday, or even worse. Its the same song and dance for the national team. The domestic league thrives while the supposed best of the best cant get out of first gear internationally. These are the same players that thrive in the most competitive domestically league in the world. The England side boasts one of the joint top goal scorers in the Premier League and two of the joint top assist-men. These are important players for the biggest clubs in England. Yet when they come together for country, the result falls short of club form. Its nonsensical when pundits suggest the downfall in the development of English players is due to too many foreign players in the Premier League. This excuse needs to stop. The jobs of top English players arent being threatened by a foreign legion. Thats an excuse saved for those not good enough. Top English players star, and play alongside top foreign recruits in the BPL. 15 players active in Tuesdays European World Cup playoffs ply their trade in the Premier League. Six Brazilians taking centre stage at the Rogers Centre belong to Premier League teams as well. Ive always been of the mindset you become a better player by playing with the best competition possible. In training and in games, you need to be pushed. These foreign players bring the best out of their English brethren and it cant be said foreign Premier League players regularly outshine their English teammates in league play. But internationally, theres no comparison. Blame Englands system and formation instead. A basic 4-4-2 is constantly mindlessly rolled out, no matter the manager. Its predictable, boring, and doesnt suit the strengths of the players. Englands top player Wayne Rooney is misused and significant talent available is wasted. Without a generational type player like Cristiano Ronaldo, its about putting players in roles they can thrive. This boils down to identity. A national footballing identity for England is absent. What is trademark of England football? It used to be the unattractive long-ball, which fit the size and strength of the players of previous generations. This current generation is lost, there is no continuity. Coaching is part of this. Englands shortage of top qualified coaches, 1,161 elite coaches in comparison to Spains 12,700 or Germanys 5,500 speaks volumes. They simply dont know how to get the best out of what they have. Ill give Hodgson some credit: although the style remains as dry as the Sahara and unimaginative as ever, younger players are getting a look. Case and point is the bright play of Andros Townsend, but hes still relatively unproven and far from a difference maker. There was too much reliance in the past on the old guard. No longer are John Terry and Frank Lampard among others the key cogs and thats a good thing. Only Steven Gerrard remains. Although Gerrards club form warrants consideration, the Captain doesnt provide the same product for the national team, he never has. So here we are. Just over six months out from the World Cup, and the bar has lowered for England. It perhaps has not been lowered for the English media. And perhaps expectations remain sky-high for those choosing to ignore the inevitable. The realist looks beyond who plays for England, instead acknowledging the what and how is not good enough. The bar need be lowered. This international break has done just that. Now if we can just keep this in mind come June. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca nike air max 2015 womens . 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LOUIS -- Carlos Beltran, Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals gave Pittsburgh a quick reality jolt. Beltrans three-run homer sparked a seven-run third inning Thursday and the Cardinals got seven stingy innings from Wainwright to open their NL division series with a 9-1 rout of the Pirates. "To be able to get out on a good first step and play well today I think is big for our guys confidence-wise," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Gives us an opportunity to just take some momentum, and momentum is big right now when you talk about a five-game series." The first eight Cardinals reached safely in the third to chase A.J. Burnett, saddling the right-hander with the second-shortest outing of his career and putting Game 1 out of reach early. A sellout crowd roared and then settled in for an easy victory by the NL Central champions, making their third consecutive trip to the post-season. "Game 164 was rough," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "One of the things weve been good at is we dont overcook things." Lance Lynn (15-10) faces Pittsburgh rookie Gerrit Cole (10-7) in Game 2 on Friday. After a record 20 straight losing seasons, the Pirates are back in the playoffs for the first time since 1992. They entered their first best-of-five division series with plenty of momentum after beating Cincinnati in the wild-card game Tuesday, but Pittsburgh never threatened to rally against Wainwright and finished with only four hits. Pittsburgh also was sloppy in the field, committing three errors. St. Louis was sharp on defence, with reliever Carlos Martinez turning in the top play by slinging an off-balance throw to first to nip Russell Martin in the eighth. "What a play!" Matheny mouthed in the dugout. Third baseman David Freese prevented extra bases in the third with a diving catch on Clint Barmes low liner. Wainwright remained unbeaten in the post-season, going to 3-0 with a 2.27 ERA in 14 games, five of them starts. He allowed a run on three hits in seven innings, striking out nine without a walk. The only damage came on a homer by Pedro Alvarez to start the fifth. The right-hander tied for the NL lead with 19 wins this year and was 4-0 in his last five starts. He thrives on expectations. "Id love to be that guy," Wainwright said. "Its important to have somebody go out there that you can count on for sure." Wainwright also started the Cardinals big burst with a leadoff, full-count walk. Beltran, who has never reached the World Series, reprised his roole as one of the games greatest playoff sluggers.dddddddddddd His 443-foot drive to the distant second deck in right field put St. Louis ahead and was the second-longest shot by a left-handed batter at 8-year-old Busch Stadium. "I almost got caught up in the moment," said Wainwright, who had a perfect view from second base. "I threw my hands up in the air as soon as he hit it, I knew it was gone. "Then I realized I had to run." Beltran has 15 home runs, 10 doubles and 28 RBIs in 35 post-season games. He also has scored 40 runs and stolen 11 bases. Leadoff man Matt Carpenter called Beltran "Mr. October." "Hes like our secret weapon when it comes to the post-season. He steps up every time," Carpenter said. "Some guys just have a knack for a big game and hes one of them." Beltrans 13 career RBIs against Burnett are the most of any player. Beltrans homer got the Cardinals going, and Jon Jay later walked with the bases loaded. Freese added a two-run single that cleared the bases when right fielder Marlon Byrds throw to the plate deflected off Freeses leg for an error. Burnett was 3-1 against the Cardinals this season but has gotten rocked in his last two visits to St. Louis, also giving up five runs in three innings in early September. In five outings at Busch Stadium the last two seasons he has a 15.50 ERA. "Hopefully, we can turn it around and give me a chance to get that ball again," Burnett said. "I was not able to repeat a single delivery all day, thats the bottom line." Hurdle was non-committal on whether Burnett would get the ball if the Pirates make it to Game 5, again in St. Louis. "I do believe that hes capable of going out and throwing a gem the next time hes out there, wherever that may be," Hurdle said. While the Pirates may have had trouble at the plate and in the field with the shadows, the late-afternoon start didnt seem to bother the Cardinals. "Everybody was seeing the ball good today," rookie Matt Adams said. NOTES: Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon threw the first pitch in the dirt, with reserve Shane Robinson making a nice scoop. ... St. Louis OF Matt Holliday walked and doubled his first two trips and had reached base safely in nine straight plate appearances before grounding out to start the fourth. ... The Cardinals claimed OF Joey Butler on waivers, three days after he was designated for assignment by the Rangers. Butler spent most of the year at Triple-A Round Rock, batting .291 with 12 homers and 51 RBIs. cheap nfl jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '