"We have not performed as well as we can do but it will come later, we should have scored more goals but I'm rather satisfied we reached the last eight," Eriksson said in a press conference after Sunday's game.

"I'm very happy, we're in the quarter finals again. I hope that we will have a better result in the quarter final than we did last time," added the Swede, who steered England to the last eight in the 2002 World Cup but lost to eventual champions Brazil.

David Beckham scored the only goal of the game on the hour mark when he curled a 35-meter free-kick home to book England's place in the last eight.

The goal was as much crucial for England as for Beckham himself after he was criticized by local press who accused Eriksson of favoring his out-of-form captain.

"It was so nice to silence a few people who've been critical, I can handle my criticism and prove them wrong," Beckham said.

"It was an ugly performance but it is what we want and we'll take ugly performances."

While England were celebrating the qualification despite a below-par show, Ecuador coach Luis Suarez said he was proud of the way his team played in Germany.

"We leave with our heads up, I think we played very well in this world cup, our objective was to make the second round and we did that," Suarez said.

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