AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)
England Wins Group but Loses Star Striker
By MARK LANDLER
Published: June 21, 2006
COLOGNE, Germany, June 20 — England's restless fans finally got their wish on Tuesday, as Wayne Rooney, the star striker who has sat out much of this World Cup with a foot injury, started for his team.
But Rooney's bulldog presence did little better than to wrest a 2-2 tie for England from a determined Sweden. By the time he was replaced in the second half, he looked as winded as his older teammates.
And injuries to its key goal scorers continued to haunt England as another star, Michael Owen, lost his footing early in the game and fell to the ground clutching his right knee. England's coach, Sven-Goran Eriksson, said that the severity of the injury was not clear but that Owen might miss the rest of the tournament.
For all that, England won its group and avoided a showdown with Germany in the next round. It will play Ecuador instead on Sunday in the second round. Sweden advanced, too, but must meet the feared Germans on their home turf on Saturday.
Not happy today, are you?
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