image: bbc.co.uk

Here's hoping today's England vs Portugal quarter-final clash is third time lucky for Sven in his third bi-annual clash with Big Phil Scolari.

In 2002 Sven's England failed to beat Big Phil's Brazil, looking short on ideas even after Ronaldinho had been sent off. That was the turning point in the English press and public's love affair with Sven, the beginning of complaints that he lacked passion and the ability to alter the course of a game.

In 2004 Sven's England lost to Big Phil's Portugal. This time he could blame the lottery that is penalties and an early injury to Wayne Rooney, though the decision to replace Rooney with Vassell looks even worse now than it did then.

Saturday's match up will (surely?) be the final time these men face each other in international competition. If Scolari comes out on top (again) then it will be Sven's final England game, and his detractors will have three consecutive quarter-final defeats, all at Big Phil's hands to prove the Swedes inferiority to the Brazilian.

But this time Sven has options on the bench. He has the pace of Aaron Lennon, the unknown quantity of Theo Walcott and all 6'7" of Peter Crouch to bring off the bench should England fall behind, while Scolari is denied the luxury of Deco and Costinha (both suspended) and possibly Cristiano Ronaldo who's battling an injury. Sven will never get a better chance.