STUTTGART, June 25 - England captain and match-winner David Beckham said he was physically sick in the second half of their World Cup second-round 1-0 victory over Ecuador.

England's David Beckham vomits on the pitch during their second round World Cup 2006 soccer match against Ecuador in Stuttgart June 25, 2006.  [Reuters]

Beckham's trademark long-range free kick on the hour proved the difference between the sides as he became the first England player to score in three World Cup finals in a row.

"I didn't feel well before the game but I thought I would be fine and in the first half I felt fine," he told BBC television. "But it (the sickness) continued in the second half and it just came out."

He continued: "I haven't scored many free kicks this season, and in the last two games I've been struggling (with free kicks).

"I've been struggling even in training and Wazza (Wayne Rooney) said to me before the match you've been terrible for the past two days so you're going to get one tonight.

"Roberto Carlos (his Real Madrid team mate) sent me a text saying 'score me a free kick tonight' so it's brought me good luck and we're happy.

'HAPPY TONIGHT'

"We've done our job. It was ugly at times and we haven't played to our full potential. We're through to the quarter-finals."

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he had no option but to substitute his captain shortly before the end. "He was gone physically," he said.

Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez paid tribute to Beckham's talent in a news conference.

"Whenever there's a free kick, obviously we have to be very much on the ball. We know of the precision that Beckham has when he takes their shots," he said.

"It was a very precise shot, it was impossible to stop. You just have to congratulate Beckham. It was perfect.

"In football sometimes you lose not because of mistakes you make but from a great free kick which was the case today."