Live Ticker: England 1 : 3 Portugal

England Face Portugal in Quarter-Final
Portugal aren't playing with their regular starting 11 after two were sent off with red cards in the round of 16 grudge match against the Netherlands, adding pressure to Luis Figo's broad shoulders (and forehead, which could have got him a red card as well). Will it be enough to beat an England team that has been able to pull off disappointing wins?

Starting line-ups
Here's how we expect the two sides to take the field in just under 45 minutes time:

England (4-5-1):

1- Paul Robinson; 2- Gary Neville, 5- Rio Ferdinand, 6-John Terry, 3- Ashley Cole; 7- David Beckham (capt), 8-Frank Lampard, 16- Owen Hargreaves, 4- Steven Gerrard, 11- Joe Cole; 9- Wayne Rooney Coach: Sven Goran Eriksson

Portugal (4-5-1):

1- Ricardo; 13- Miguel, 16- Ricardo Carvalho, 5- Fernando Meira, 14- Nuno Valente; 8- Armando Petit, 18- Maniche, 19- Tiago, 7-Luis Figo (capt), 17- Cristiano Ronaldo; 9- Pauleta

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina)

The hopes of two nations rest with Eriksson -- after watching Sweden be eliminated by hosts Germany, Swedish fans will be lending their countryman their support

After taking a vicious boot to the thigh, Cristiano Ronaldo is back in the Portugal line-up. England's Gary Neville is also back after nursing a calf injury.

The stadium in Gelsenkirchen is filled for its last World Cup match. To make sure the action on the field stays hot, officials closed the retractable roof. Temperatures inside are about 28 degrees C (82 F).

"God Save the Queen" rings out in a chorus of about 30,000 voices. Not much longer till this game is underway.

Figo and Beckham exchange pleasantries with the referee and wait for the coin toss.

1. min.
The last quarter-final is on
England get the game started with a pass out of the center circle.

3. min.
After a bit of passing in the defense, Rooney gets a chance inside the box but fires into a defender. Ronaldo takes the deflection out and chips over to Figo. Robinson is able to get his hands on it without any problem.

5. min.
It's still too early to make a good call, but this game is beginning to look like one that could turn into trench warfare in the midfield with the occasional offensive sortie.

6. min.
Petit gives A. Cole a bit of a hello, and David Beckham lines up a free kick.

7. min.
Ricardo dives to punch the ball out at the last moment before Ferdinand can get his head on it.

9. min.
Rooney traps, turns and fires with his second chance. Ricardo is positioned well and doesn't have a problem with it, but Portugal may want to get another defender somewhere around the lone English striker.

10. min.
Hargreaves sends Figo down. The Portuguese captain doesn't do much with the kick, sending it parallel for a safe pass.

12. min.
Portugal are advancing slowly and keeping control of the ball and looking faster than the English.

14. min.
Tiago takes a try
Tiago got a surprise chance after Figo sent a free kick into the box. Lampard and Neville both don't bother going for the ball and Tiago, possibly because he can't believe his luck, can only manage a weak kick into Robinson.

16. min.
Hargreaves knocks down Figo, again. The Portuguese player wants a card, but the ref is just having a few words with Hargreaves for now.

17. min.
Whistles begin for England
The crowd wants some thing much more creative from the team they traveled to the continent to see. Safe passes back and forth may not let the other team score -- but it's not doing much for England either.

19. min.
Beckham and Rooney do the crowd's will
A quick counter attack and Rooney sends the ball to the end line for Beckham, but the captain's cross doesn't find an English foot.

20. min.
Ronaldo takes a crossing pass from Figo into the penalty box, makes some space for himself and is unhappy with the quality of the ensuing shoot. And he should be -- it sailed well over goal.

21. min.
Chance for England
Gerrard sends in a ball to the charging Lampard but it's just inches too far off his big toe and Ricardo collects it. Thank Rooney and Beckham for the lead up work to the pass.

25. min.
Exchanging time on the ball
England and Portugal are exchanging 30 to 45 second sessions with the ball before making a bad pass or having the ball intercepted. But the intervals aren't proving long enough for either team to play out a dangerous attempts on goal.

26. min.
England's fans are getting louder as the first half progresses. Rooney is still giving them what they want as the only English player on the field with an eye for goal.

28. min.
Do nothing that could give up a goal
That's the instructions both teams seem to have been given before the match. Ferdinand doesn't look like he was paying attention after tearing down Ronaldo outside in the corner of the box. The referee calls for play to continue.

29. min.
Terry hurt
John Terry is getting some treatment on the field while the rest of the players get a drink.

31. min.
Terry booked
The ref gives Terry time to recover before hitting him with the yellow card. If England win, he'll be on the bench for the next match.

33. min.
Miguel, one of the Cup's best attacking defenders, comes forward with the ball, but his cross goes over two Portuguese head and lands in front of Ferdinand, who is happy to take the ball out of the penalty box.

35. min.
What did I do?
Ashley Cole gets in Tiago's way to the ball so the Portuguese players grabs him by the shoulders and shoves him out of the way -- then is surprised for being called on the foul.

36. min.
Not much of an actor
Owen Hargreaves tries to cover up the hand ball that locked the ball in the Portuguese end, but won't be getting any theater awards for his performance.

38. min.
Like schoolboys who were caught misbehaving (and against the Netherlands, they were), Portugal have come back with a newfound discipline against England.

39. min.
Rooney trips over Carvalho and lands with his knee in the defender's back. Carvalho needs a bit of a stretch, but will be able to continue.

41. min.
Figo fires
Luis Figo takes his first try of the match and only misses goal by a few feet.

42. min.
Terry, Beckham and Lampard connect for a good, fast series into the Portuguese penalty area, but Lampard's last pass isn't accurate enough for Beckham to re-connect.

43. min.
Hargreaves wins a corner for England on a long run forward.

44. min.
Petit booked
Petit will miss the next match, if Portugal win, after sliding into Rooney so late the England striker probably forget where he passed the ball.

45. min.
Beckham sends the free kick careening into the six-man wall.

45. min.
The English passes to the striker aren't getting through, so Lampard rockets a long-range shot in at Ricardo. The keeper bobbles a bit, but there's on one around and he grabs the ball again.

45. min.
Ferdinand gives the ball back
+1: The refs blows the half-time whistle and the teams file into the locker room.

45. min.
+1: Despite a few early, unnecessary fouls, Owen Hargreaves is having an impressive game for England and it's clear to see that the Portuguese are in dire need of Deco's midfield creativity.

45+1. min.
Let's hope the teams come out with a more aggressive style of the second 45 minutes.

46. min.
Let the second half begin!


47. min.
Both sides look just as they did when 22 tired looking players came off the field for the break.

50. min.
How about a sub?
Lampard looks for Gerrard on the flank but, sick of waiting, Ronaldo comes all the way back and collects the ball. Sven, Luiz give us an offensive change, please!

51. min.
Figo and Tiago pass well at the edge of the england penalty box, but Tiago's shot is a too weak.

51. min.
Rooney passes to Beckham, whose shot is rifled into Nuno Valente's arm. The English crowd cry for a penalty, but there is none coming.

52. min.
Sven makes a change
A tired looking Becks leaves the field to make room for Aaron Lennon.

53. min.
Neville sends in a corner for Lampard who hits the ball over the bar from in close.

55. min.
Late whistle sends Ronaldo into a fury
Cristiano must not have noticed the line as he dribbled off the field. He's red with anger that the linesman was paying attention.

57. min.
Corner England
Gerrard sends the ball to the penalty spot, but Ricardo comes out to collect it.

60. min.
Barely in the game, Lennon takes control of the ball and carries it into the box, laying off for Rooney, who wiffs. Joe Cole takes his own sliding try on a near open goal and misses.

62. min.
Cole brings the ball to Rooney who is quickly surrounded by three Portuguese defenders and stripped of the ball. Valente's cross at the other end of the field doesn't cross paths with striker.

62. min.
Red for Rooney
Carvalho is still on the ground after a close fight for the ball with Rooney. The Englishman gets red for stepping on him while on the ground.

63. min.
Sabrosa Simao in for Pauleta


65. min.
Joe Cole makes rom for Peter Crouch
Just as the game is back on after a hub-bub surrounding Rooney's ejection, Sven makes an offensive change.

67. min.
Hargreaves gets what is probably his last warning after taking the ball from Tiago and walking away.

68. min.
Simao wins a corner for Portugal. It goes out the top of the box and Meira takes a try that deflects to Figo's foot, but the captain's shot is high.

70. min.
With a man advantage, Portugal are making well-planned advances and falling back quickly whenever England get control of the ball. Crouch gets his first touches and gives off to Lennon as England look for a hole in the defense.

72. min.
Valente stops Crouch in his tracks and the lankly forward tries to break free in the middle.

74. min.
Fans will begin asking for energy drinks at the concession stand instead of beer if this game doesn't pick up soon.

75. min.
Hugo Viana comes on for Portugal
Tiago takes a place on the bench.

77. min.
Crouch sends a pass right into Gerrard's path, but he can't make much of the ball he didn't expect and it bounces out.

77. min.
Maniche tries to get his third goal of the Cup with a long-range shot, but it goes high and Robinson doesn't even bother looking at it sail over the bar.

79. min.
Robinson saves
Figo sends in a rocket of a shot that extends Robinson to his full height as the keeper sends the ball out with his right hand.

80. min.
Valente gets treated on the sidelines.

82. min.
Viana takes his first try of the match and Robinson is able to fall on it.

83. min.
Free kick England
This could be England's chance to go up a goal.

83. min.
Lampard fires to the corner. Ricardo parries it away poorly and Lennon is unable to slot home the goal the England fans expected from him.

85. min.
Portugal push ever so slowly
The next five minutes will be a trial for both teams. A mistake here would spell the end of the match. But even up a man, Portugal aren't looking more dangerous than in the first half.

86. min.
Both captains out
Figo is taken off the pitch for Helder Postiga.

87. min.
After a long absence, Ronaldo crosses the ball to a jumping Helder Postiga, but the new sub is just a bit too short to connect and the ball meanders out of danger.

88. min.
England fans have awoken with "God Save the Queen." Portugal keep up their controlled attack.

90. min.
Crouch tries to get the ball past Carvalho, but the defender sees it all from a mile away and takes the ball forward with him. Maniche gets a chance in the middle of the penalty arc and sends his kick right into Robinson's arms.

90+2. min.
Lennon wins a corner for England -- this could end the game in regulation.

90+2. min.
Lampard send the ball in and Ricardo comes way out of the goal box to fist it away. After bouncing around England win another corner, but it, too, is punched out.

90+3. min.
Portugal get their last attempt
All the chances of the second half seem to be coming in the final seconds. Maniche tries again after a quick Portugal counter attack and sends a disappoint ball wide of goal.

90+3. min.
Extra time in Gelsenkirchen
The players head to the sidelines for a drink before getting started for two more 15-minutes sessions.

90+3. min.
The 11 on the field for Portugal will have to run out the extra 30 minutes. Eriksson could make one more change if he thinks his team needs it.

91. min.
Hand shakes and head slaps for the team mates and Portugal get extra time started.

92. min.
England's first touch over extra time comes as Cole heads a cross out of the box. It's all Portugal passing round the penalty area for now.

93. min.
Petit takes a risk and decides there's not much to lose by taking a shot. Too bad it's not anywhere near the goal.

93. min.
Free kick England.

93. min.
Crouch misses the header on the free kick and Carvalho wants to know how the ref could give a corner kick to someone who should be able to win every header.

95. min.
Portugal counter and Simao fires a shot wide of goal that may have made Robinson hold his breath for a fraction of a second.

97. min.
Portugal and England scrap for the ball outside the edge of the England penalty area. But the Portuguese shots keep getting blocked.

99. min.
England make a continued drive forward but Crouch can't get a good head on the ball. He's also called for pushing himself up on the defender -- that trick only works once, Peter.

102. min.
Peter Crouch is having a tough day up top. He can't get a good trap on the ball, win a ball without knocking someone down and is never in the right place at the right time. After a convincing group stage, it's becoming clear why Eriksson prefers Rooney to him.

105. min.
Not much is looking stable for England. The defense is beginning to open up with defenders closing the holes just in the last possible seconds. Ronaldo makes the point with a long-range shot that Robinson escorts over the crossbar.

105. min.
Extra time's first 15 minutes are over
Only 15 minutes separate Portual and England from a penalty shoot-out.

106. min.
Now it's England's turn to start with the ball. Do any of the players have the legs left to score?

107. min.
England want a penalty. Lennon falls in the box but Valente got the ball first.

107. min.
Hargreaves booked
Less for this particular challenge than for a game's worth, Hargreaves is booked.

108. min.
The ball is in the net
Portugal send in another ball to Helder Postiga who heads into the net, only to be called offsides.

110. min.
Meira is called for an illegal throw-in and England take over. Their time with the ball is short lived as Valente gets the Portuguese passing game back underway.

111. min.
Carvalho booked
A tough foul on Neville gets the Portuguese defender his first card of the tournament.

112. min.
Ronaldo heads a ball to England goalie Robinson-- it's easy to see why it's his first of the game as the ball has nothing behind it.

115. min.
Portuguese go to man of the moment. The rest of the team looks like they don't want be the ones to have to decide on taking a shot until Petit puts another ball right into Robinson's chest.

115. min.
Let the cramps begin
Terry needs a calf stretch. It's unlikely he's the only one on the pitch enjoying the chance to get a breath and drink.

118. min.
Fall, roll and hope seem to be Ronaldo's MO right now. Anytime he's in, near or around the penalty area it's not taking long for him to look for a free kick after being stripped of the ball

119. min.
Sub Lennon off for Jamie Carragher
Lennon did well since coming on, looks like England are playing for the shoot-out.

120. min.
Last chance for Portugal
Only second remaining and the cross from Miguel goes past every player. Portugal get the corner kick to Maniche and his shot deflects to the midfield.

121. min.
After three crosses into the goal box -- without a Portugal player getting near them -- Maniche lines up a ball that he would fire home 10 out of 10 times in training and rockets it into the upper deck.

121. min.
England - Portugal goes into a shoot-out


Ricardo and Robinson look for their inner selves as Eriksson and Scolari put together a list of shooters.

Playing with 10 men, England can be somewhat pleased with forcing Portugal into a shoot-out. But that won't be much condolence if this spells the end of their World Cup campaign.

Portugal will have a lot of explaining to do if they're on a plane to Lisbon tomorrow.

The dance version of "Que Sera, Sera" plays in the background as the players get a final drink and gather their nerves.

Simao takes the first kick.

And he scores!!
Robinson knew which corner, but it didn't help.

Lampard's shot is blocked!
Ricardo dives to his left and pushes the ball out.

Off the post!
Viana came on as a sub and hits the post. Robinson was fooled, but it doesn't matter.

Goal England!
Owen Hargreaves scored in 2004 against Portugal in the shoot-out and does it again. Ricardo had a hand on the ball, but not enough to stop the inevitable.

Petit doesn't get close to goal. It's all even!

Gerrard takes some deep breaths and Ricardo blocks his shot to the left.

Goal Portugal
Helder Postiga fires home. Robinson knew he was beat.

Carragher hits the back of the net, but the ref hadn't blown the whistle. Let's try again.

Blocked!
Ricardo blocks his third shot!

Ronaldo puts the wondering to an end
21-year-old Ronaldo fires into the upper corner and meets Ricardo for a celebratory hug.

England shoot-out sorrow continues
England fans will have to continue waiting for their team to put an end a long, sad streak of failed penalty shoot-outs.