Soccer: English media breathes sigh of relief

British media have expressed relief after England squeezed through to the World Cup round of 16 overnight.

England beat Slovenia 1-0, just getting them through to the last 16 following sup-par performances in their first two matches.

"Phew! Nation breathes a sigh of relief as England scrape through (but it could be the Germans next)," read the DailyMail headline.

The newspaper surveyed how soccer fans all across Britain were fixated on the match, including photos of Prince William and computer terminals with the soccer broadcast obscuring real-time financial data.

"Shopping centres and busy routes were deserted, while public transport and city centres were eerily quiet as an expectant nation held its breath during a nervy encounter," it said.

Some councils gave employees the option of using holidays to watch the game, it reported.

The Telegraph said England's dream was "still alive" after the win.

"Finally England's World Cup is up and running," it said.

The Times praised the England team, calling their play a "confident, vibrant performance".

"England team got the victory they needed and built up some much-needed confidence and momentum thanks to a confident, vibrant performance that was capped by Defoe's goal midway through the first half," it said.

The Guardian offered a muted match report, but in another article it quoted England coach Fabio Capello saying the team showed spirit after he let the players have a beer the previous night.

"Yesterday evening they drank beer before the game. And I saw the team play with the spirit that we lost in the games we played before this game," Capello said.

Excitement was greater in the United States, where a "late, heart-stopping" goal by striker Landon Donovan put the Americans through to the last 16 and at the top of their group, ahead of England.

"Party in The U.S.A," ESPN wrote on its front page.

The sports broadcaster told how Donovan broke down in tears after the match, saying, "I've been on a long journey these last four years. People who know me closest know how hard I've worked for this".

The Los Angeles Times said Donovan had lifted US soccer "to the most dramatic - and one of the most important - victories in its history".