Same old story for England

Luis Suarez's scoring a winner for Uruguay against England Thursday was almost unsurprising. That sinking feeling of knowing you were wrong to believe has happened far too often for England fans.

England are all but out of the 2014 World Cup. In fact it would be better if even the slim mathematical possibility of progression did not exist. The mere nature of "all but" suggests hope, and England fans know well how dangerous that can be.

Although Italy are expected to beat Costa Rica on Friday, a similar result against the Uruguayans is harder to predict for the Italians. Not to mention that England themselves would have to beat a confident Costa Rica - an assumption that cannot be made considering recent performances.

Yet the way England performed against Italy had many believing that Roy Hodgson's selection had the potential to become a true collective force. Nineteen-year-old Raheem Sterling was fearless against Italy: His direct running and efficient dribbling troubled a solid Italian defense. England's midfield supported him eagerly and, for the most part, the team took the game to their opponents. It was a genuine improvement.

Against Uruguay, any glimmer of hope dissipated and familiar disappointment returned. England looked clueless all over again, as they dallied and wasted possession. Delivery became progressively worse and England's playmakers were shut down by either Uruguay's defenders or their own errors. In almost a repeat of Balotelli's goal against England, Luis Suarez peeled away from Phil Jagielka to head past goalkeeper Joe Hart. Uruguay's winner also recalled a previous heartbreak: Miroslav Klose's goal for Germany against England in 2010, one that was also started by a keeper, was almost identical.

Affording too much defensive shape is one thing, but an inability to handle long balls from a goalkeeper at football's highest level is nothing short of unacceptable. Particularly against a striker who wasn't even fit.

Should Hodgson stay on as manager - "I don't have any intention of resigning," he said the morning after the defeat to Uruguay - he will have a great number of things still outstanding on his to-do list. Some, if not all, will take a long time to develop and will largely depend on the players at his disposal.

Whomever he has and however long these things take - and, in the case of defensive positioning, that shouldn't be forever - England must play smarter.

Against Italy, England gave one of their best performances to date at a tournament, but they lost. Italy weren't the better side, but they were certainly the more intelligent. Neither Uruguay or England played particularly well on Thursday night, but Uruguay were smarter, particularly when it mattered.

Not only do England need to turn a new page, they need to start a new volume of their football. Like Suarez's winner, that statement sounds so familiar because it is. What England truly need to do is start acting on the promise of a new era. St. George's Park is an excellent start, but it mustn't stop there. Change the youth development program at domestic clubs, nurture young English talent, but harness their abilities in a sound, modern tactical setup that allows them to excel as a collective. Lay to rest previous generations and their achievements, including even the mere discussion of them. Approach tournaments with a realistic understanding of a long-term plan toward success, not, as they have in Brazil, believing that lowered expectations means upsetting the odds and winning it. In short, replace hurtful hope with refreshing realism.

Until this happens, watching England will be like a broken record. And fans will continue to be disappointed. Over and over again.