TORONTO : British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "deeply disappointed" after England lost to Germany in its World Cup match, adding he had questions about an English goal which was disallowed.

He was talking after playing hookie from economic summit talks in Toronto, Canada, to watch the second half of the match along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

But to Cameron`s chagrin, Germany thumped England 4-1 sending the English team crashing out of the World Cup.

The historic rivalry between the two countries was fueled in the first half of the match when a goal by England`s Frank Lampard which would have leveled the scores was disallowed, despite the ball crossing the goal line.

"I was deeply disappointed. I watched the game. I`ve watched all of the games," he told reporters after the G20 talks wrapped up here.

"I felt very disappointed, but it`s not for me to appoint the England manager, I have enough problems in that direction anyway."

"The Germans played very well. We have some questions to ask and everyone in the country will be disappointed with the result."

But the prime minister insisted "at least with a scoreline like that we can`t turn around and say we were robbed. We weren`t. We were beaten."

A British source told reporters that Merkel had conceded to Cameron that Lampard`s goal should have counted, a gesture confirmed by the German delegation.

"She`s sorry about that, she was very nice about it," the British source added, saying the atmosphere between the two leaders was "very good-natured."
Merkel, meanwhile, did not disguise her delight at the result.

"I am still all excited," she told reporters. "I can only say to the German team, go on like this -- it was great. Today everything went perfectly in the heads and in the legs."

She added: "I watched it with Cameron and of course he congratulated us and it was a very nice and sportive atmosphere between the colleagues of the two countries."

Merkel could now travel to South Africa to watch Germany`s next game, against either Argentina or Mexico, German sources said.

Cameron had previously said he would "try not to wrestle her (Merkel) to the ground" if the game went to penalties, as it did the last time the two sides met in the World Cup, in the 1990 semi-final.

On that occasion, which has become one of the most memorable games in English football history, England were beaten on penalties.

World Cup fever gripped the G20 summit of leaders from the richest and biggest emerging economies, with many televisions in delegation hotels and the media center tuned to the games.

BDST : 0907 HRS , June 28, 2010
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