England have time on their side

By Paul Saffer in Blackburn

England may have finished just short of their first UEFA European Women's Championship semi-final in a decade, but even amid the "bitter disappointment" of her team's exit, coach Hope Powell struck a positive note.

Sweden defeat
Having needed to avoid defeat against 2001 finalists Sweden to survive in the tournament at Ewood Park, Blackburn on Saturday, England fell to a third-minute Anna Sjöström goal. The distress was evident, but there is much for England to look back on with pride.

Young team
First, their opening 3-2 victory against Finland, subsequently to finish second in Group A, courtesy of Karen Carney's last-gasp winner. Then the performance against Denmark, where England appeared set for the final four when they led 1-0 with ten minutes left only to concede twice. Indeed, they looked the equal of both the accomplished Danes and Swedes in those defeats, and with an average age of 23, including teenagers Carney and Eniola Aluko and no players older than 29, this team's prime is yet to come.

'Bright future'
Powell said: "We are a young squad, and have a very, very bright future, so we are now looking forward. There are loads of pluses, too many to count. Some individual performances have been outstanding. Collectively, we've been outstanding - massive, massive positive team spirit and belief. And we will learn from this and realise they can compete against the best in the world."

'Absolutely magnificent'
The narrow losses against Denmark and Sweden, despite the heartbreak on each occasion, were impressive, the coach added. "We played badly in the first game and won, played well twice and lost, so we have to learn," Powell said. "We have to congratulate them, they were absolutely magnificent."

Strong lineup
Much of the pre-tournament focus was on their established world-class player, Kelly Smith, whose injury problems meant she departed at half-time in the first two games, though she lasted the full 90 minutes on Saturday. But from the attacking pace and skill of Carney, Aluko and Rachel Yankey to the stern defending of captain Faye White and Arsenal LFC team-mate Mary Phillip, England clearly possess strength throughout.

Unbeaten run
Another legacy was the long run without defeat that England embarked upon in their warm-up matches, only ended with the Denmark defeat here. "It was good for us to go ten matches unbeaten and play friendlies," the coach said. "We were able to try things, they got a lot of experience, it's proved it worked by how well we played."

Public interest
Finally, the public interest in England that the tournament sparked was unprecedented for women's football in the country. The 29,092 crowd for the opener against Finland at the City of Manchester stadium was a championship record, and the two games at Blackburn attracted a combined attendance topping 40,000. BBC television also showed all three of the hosts' matches live, attracting healthy viewing figures.

Fans' support
"It is unfortunate for the tournament that England are now out," said Powell. "I will the fans to come back and support us, the squad has a lot to offer. Some 70,000 spectators and four million on BBC TV proved people want to watch us and there is a lot of interest out there. It shows how well we have done, and hopefully that will continue."

Best to come
To reach the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, England must find a way past the team that blocked their path last time around, France. But even if they miss out again, it seems likely that they will be a real threat come EURO 2009.