European Championship U21 - Pearce: Guts will win the game

Eurosport - Sun, 28 Jun 09:32:00 2009

England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce is relishing his first international final and has urged his youngsters to show "guts" against old adversaries Germany in Monday's climactic match.

2009 England U21 Stuart Pearce - 0

After beating hosts Sweden on penalties, Pearce's side will be European champions if they beat their traditional rivals in Malmo.

Pearce has history against the Germans, losing to them on penalties at the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships as a player, so knows what will be needed for victory.

"The team who has the most guts, takes their chances when they come and maybe have enough fit players will win the game," Pearce said. "It's a fantastic final.

He added: "It's the furthest I've been in international football as a player or a manager so it's a step in the right direction. We need to win one more match and one team stands in our way.

"We have to play better than against Sweden but also have to show the same character as they do time and again."

Pearce barely celebrated on Friday evening in Gothenburg when Guillermo Molins hit the post and England won the shoot-out.

It is the type of reaction he saw from two German players 19 years ago in Turin while he and Peter Shilton were taking a routine drugs test. Pearce had missed a spot-kick as England crashed out but there was no celebration or gloating from his opponents.

"I feel there is one more match in this tournament," Pearce said. "Then maybe I'll let my hair down a touch. We've come to win it. It was a semi-final, that's all it was.

"When the penalty hit the post everything else was irrelevant and only Monday was important."

PA Sport / Eurosport

Comment 5 - 24 of 64

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    AT DANT MATTAR AF YER BLECK UR WHEET DE DA LE DE DO DO­ EO. SAYS THA BYE THOT MADE HES SKAN AL WHEET CAZ HE WAS­ ASHEEMED AV BEAN A BLECK MON..

    From Donney, on Sat 27 Jun 8:09PM
  2. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ANNIE ARE YOU OK SO, ANNIE ARE YOU OK ARE YOU OK, ANNIE­ .. . YOUVE BEEN HIT BY YOUVE BEEN HIT BY . . . . A­ SMOOTH CRIMINAL . . . . AOOOOOW EEEEEEEEEK

    From JEEMS, on Sat 27 Jun 7:55PM

  3. Athrope as a supporter of english soccer your opinion­ counts for diddly squat. england as a sporting nation­ are pretty dismal apart from maybe lawn bowls and­ darts. Stuart Pearce a world class defender . What are­ you SMOKING ?? LOL

    From thetwotoedsloth, on Sat 27 Jun 7:50PM
  4. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    JEREMY AWA N HAE A LIE DOON EH... . . . SHAMON

    AOOOW

    From JEEMS, on Sat 27 Jun 7:42PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    on monday the history will repeat itself though,ENGLAND­ and GERMANY again heh?english you better finish in 120­ minutes then,do not go in penalty because you will lose­ again your rivalry nemesis german,the game on monday­ who ever win will be great anyway,england got strong­ forward and germany got strong goalkeeper and defense­ so it hard to see who is favorite,but i predict germany­ will win 2-1,,,,go germanyyyyyyy and they are more­ hungry because germany never win this u21 yet!

    From jeremy t, on Sat 27 Jun 7:39PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    AYE DONNY MIN. . . SPANKIN IM. THORS A FEW O THEY­ OLYMPIANS THERE . . THORS BIG TREV MCDINILD N AW.

    From JEEMS, on Sat 27 Jun 7:24PM

  7. THE FIRES IN THERE EYES AND THEIR WORDS ARE REALLY­ CLEAR . . . SO BEAT IT . JUST BEAT IT . .

    EEEEK

    From JEEMS, on Sat 27 Jun 7:21PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ALREET JEEMS BYE HOO UR YEE SAN? UR YEE WETCHAN WEE­ ANDAY AN THA TEEBAX?

    From Donney, on Sat 27 Jun 7:21PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    AOOOOOOOOOOOW

    From JEEMS, on Sat 27 Jun 7:10PM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    ALREET MECHAL JECKSAN BYE. A SAY,­ SHAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE MOLAR FECKAR. GAT BECK TA THA­ MORTURAY YEE LIEG YEE.

    From Donney, on Sat 27 Jun 6:51PM

  11. C'mon Unglund, DO IT FOR THE KING OF POP !!?­ OOOWWWWWW !!

    From Barcelona 2 0 Manchester United, on Sat 27 Jun 6:25PM

  12. If Pearce´s talking about guts...then u have to bring­ in players that has guts like­ Walcott,Agbolahor,Richards and Gibbs...guys that have­ tasted top flight football... wish u guys success..

    From joe, on Sat 27 Jun 5:54PM

  13. Excuse me but pearce was a crackin footballer n hes­ proved a good manager after a dodgy start at Man City.­ And theres more to england then brawn I think you need­ to open yer eyes n get yer facts strait before you­ insult english footballers and more importantly one of­ in my opinion the worlds greatest defenders.

    From Andrew, on Sat 27 Jun 4:40PM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    badger you have to stop drinking

    From Frank, on Sat 27 Jun 4:34PM

  15. Donny knows how to write Scottish

    From redneck_detector, on Sat 27 Jun 4:34PM

  16. punk will do it Stuart......shame most players listen­ to wimp's music these days

    From redneck_detector, on Sat 27 Jun 4:30PM
  17. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Stuart Pearce average footballer,average manager,guts­ yes but english football hasnt much more to offer other­ than a bit of brawn .Skill and tech miles behind the­ great soccer playing nations.

    From thetwotoedsloth, on Sat 27 Jun 4:04PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    STURT PEARE AS WAN AGLAY CANT ASANT A?

    From Donney, on Sat 27 Jun 3:59PM

  19. If anyone can do it its phscho. After goin so close as­ a player he definitely deserves it.

    From Andrew, on Sat 27 Jun 3:57PM

  20. three lions on my chest, st george in my heart, and­ nothing but English pride running through my veins, we­ can do it.......we have the heart and the courage we­ have determination, come ENGLAND bring it home and show­ the seniors how its done.......are you watching­ Fabio?????????

    From yorkie, on Sat 27 Jun 3:27PM
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