Newspapers struggled Wednesday to celebrate England's top finish in Group B, and concentrated instead on striker Michael Owen crashing out of the World Cup with a knee injury.

"Striker folly by (Sven-Goran) Eriksson looks a real Owen goal," said tabloid Daily Mirror, blasting England's coach for having only four strikers in his squad.

England's Michael Owen receives treatment during the Group B World Cup 2006 soccer match against Sweden in Cologne in this June 20, 2006 . Owen has been ruled out for the rest of the World Cup finals with a knee injury, the Football Association said on its website on Wednesday. [Reuters]

"England limp on as Owen hobbles out," The Times said, after Owen was carried off at the start of the 2-2 draw with Sweden on Tuesday.

"Gone in 50 Secs," lamented top-selling The Sun, running a series of photos showing Owen falling to the ground. Liberal daily The Guardian had eight pictures of Owen under the headline: "Going, Owen, gone; How striker's World Cup dream died."

A draw was all England needed against Sweden to win its group and avoid resurgent hosts Germany in the next round. The Sun's front-page headline appeared unsure if this was good news or not: "Bring on, er, Ecuador."

All papers celebrated Joe Cole's brilliant 25-yard strike in the city of Cologne, or "Joe de Cologne" as the Daily Mirror called the Chelsea striker.

The wives and girlfriends, or WAGS, as they've come to be known in the English press, weren't left out of the tabloid angst.

"WAGony" said The Sun, focusing on the reaction of Owen's wife.

"In those seconds that he (Owen) lay on the stretcher, it felt as if everything was lost. Not just for him. But for England too," said the Daily Mirror, before returning to the attack: "And it felt as if Sven-Goran Eriksson had betrayed us with his folly."

The Times even cheekily suggested that Eriksson -a Swede who became England's first foreign coach in January 2001-had failed "to pay tribute to one of those strict Nordic gods."

"But instead of cursing Eriksson himself," The Times said, "Thor has done a still crueler thing and cursed the England strikers."