"I didn't know he was feeling bad before the game," Eriksson said. "He didn't tell me, that's for sure."

After the final whistle, Beckham walked out to wave at the England supporters who sang "Football's Coming Home," the theme of the 1996 Euro Championship it hoped to win but never did.

"We will take this, although I don't think it was good football at times," Beckham said. "Tonight we can go home very happy."

The crowd of 52,000 in Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion was about 90 percent English supporters in white and red, many waving the Cross of St. George flag. The familiar tune of "Rule, Britannia!" was repeatedly sung.

There was no word of immediate fan violence in Stuttgart after the match, though police had to deal with trouble in the city center a day earlier ¡ª as often is the case when England plays.

About 500 were arrested Saturday in Stuttgart, and all but few were English. Approximately 1,800 officers patrolled the streets, including British law enforcement, to help police an estimated 50,000 English fans.

Ecuador's Carlos Tenorio had the first good scoring chance in the 12th minute when defender John Terry's attempt at a clearing header popped up in the air behind him. Tenorio, one-on-one against goalkeeper Paul Robinson, settled the ball, and his right-footed shot deflected off a sliding Cole and off the crossbar.

"I thought the ball was going in," Tenorio said. "If the play ends up being a goal, the course of the match would have been very different.

England didn't mind winning ugly.

"Results win tournaments. Performances don't," Ferdinand said. "If we get a good performance, fantastic, that's what we aim for. But if it doesn't happen and we get the result, who's going to cry about that?"