in the summer of 2000, England traveled to Belgium and the Netherlands to compete in the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament. Expectations were high for a talented England side, which included the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen, and Paul Scholes.
England's campaign began with a match against Portugal, which ended in a 3-2 victory for the English. Michael Owen was the hero of the day, scoring a stunning solo goal to secure all three points. The next match, against Romania, ended in a goalless draw, leaving England needing a victory in their final game against Germany to guarantee qualification to the knockout stages.
Unfortunately, England couldn't find the back of the net against a sturdy German defense, and the match finished 1-0 to Germany, knocking England out of the tournament.
The match against Germany was not without controversy, as referee Kim Milton Nielsen denied England a clear-cut penalty when Dietmar Hamann appeared to handle the ball in the box. Nielsen claimed that he didn't see the incident, which infuriated England manager Kevin Keegan and the English fans.
The decision proved costly for England, who ultimately crashed out of the tournament. However, it was not just the refereeing decision that cost England their place in the knockout stages. England had struggled to create clear chances throughout the tournament and had been wasteful in front of goal.
The Euro 2000 tournament proved to be a low point for English football. The team failed to live up to expectations and were knocked out at the group stage for the first time since the 1980s.
The tournament also marked the end of Kevin Keegan's tenure as England manager. Keegan had been a popular choice with the fans, but his record in charge of the national team was unremarkable, with only 9 wins from 18 matches.
Overall, Euro 2000 was a disappointing campaign for England. Despite having a talented squad, the team failed to deliver on the big stage and were eliminated at the group stage. However, the tournament did provide some memorable moments, such as Michael Owen's wonder goal against Portugal, which will go down in England folklore.
