England aren't cool enough on the spot - Borowski

BERLIN, July 2 (Reuters) Germany midfielder Tim Borowski poured salt into England's wounds today when he said they lack nerve in penalty shootouts after Portugal eliminated them from the World Cup yesterday.

''I think we're just a little bit cooler than England in front of the goal,'' said Borowski, who scored the decisive fourth penalty in Germany's 4-2 win in a shootout after extra time over Argentina in Friday's quarter-final.

''I think that's the main reason,'' added Borowski, who came on in the 74th minute for Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Germany have a perfect 4-0 record in World Cup penalty shootouts and have not missed a single penalty in a shootout in a finals for 24 years while England have lost all three of theirs.

Against Argentina on Friday, Germany scored all four of their penalties while England got just one of four against Portugal -- by Owen Hargreaves, who plays in the Bundesliga for Bayern Munich.

England went out in 1990 in the semi-finals on spot-kicks against Germany, against Argentina in the second round in 1998 and in the last eight against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen yesterday.

They also lost twice in the European Championship to Portugal in 2002 and to Germany in 1996, although their solitary success was against Spain a round earlier in 1996.

REUTERS DH RK1824