Beaten only once, and then on penalties, England were finally, but deservedly, eliminated 4-2 in the shootout by a superior Italy team after riding their luck in a goalless draw at the end of extra-time in Sunday's quarter-final in Kiev.
Having slogged through a 1-1 draw with France and then overcome Sweden 3-2 with a late goal before beating co-hosts Ukraine 1-0 in demanding Group D games that stretched them to their limits, it was clear England exceeded expectations.
Two years on from England's sorry exit at the 2010 World Cup finals, when they left Rustenberg in disarray after a 4-1 thumping by Germany, Hodgson should take satisfaction from steadying what appeared to be a rocking, if not mutinous, ship.
Former manager Fabio Capello's lack of command of the English language and the complex relations within the group had left Hodgson, appointed on May 1, with an awkward task and a need to make several difficult decisions.
HODGSON'S CHOICE
Their performances, and those of the squad in general including newcomers like forward Danny Welbeck, justified Hodgson's choices, even if they lacked inspiration thanks to the dearth of imaginative, creative players.
After the 2010 World Cup, Capello's future was called into doubt but he was retained, if not with a resounding vote of confidence, before choosing to depart in February this year.
Given that backdrop, and only two warm-up games, Hodgson did much as expected by sticking to a pragmatic and defensive approach as England went unbeaten, barring Sunday's penalty loss, through their first six games under his control.
