FINAL TIME LORDS
CROATIA IN RACE TO DEFY THE CLOCK ONCE MORE
CROATIA began preparations for the first World Cup final in its history yesterday after coming from behind to crush England’s hopes in an enthralling contest.
The Balkan nation of just four million people will play France on Monday morning after Mario Mandzukic’s extra-time winner in yesterday semi-final prolonged England’s 52-year wait to reach a second World Cup final.
England roared into the lead in the fifth minute through Kieran Trippier’s superb free-kick, but Croatia hit back through Ivan Perisic and Mandzukic to win 2-1 in front of 78,000 spectators in the Luzhniki Stadium.
In beating Gareth Southgate’s young team, Croatia has surpassed the achievements of the heroes of 1998, when they reached the semi-finals in France in its first World Cup as an independent nation.
Their players celebrated wildly while in Zagreb, tens of thousands of fans poured onto the streets, singing, letting off flares and waving flags.
Coach Zlatko Dalic’s side was clearly exhausted but they battled through extratime once again.
“This is fantastic,” Dalic said. “Two players played with half-a-leg, but it didn’t show. In extra-time nobody wanted to be substituted.”
Croatia must recover quickly for Monday’s showpiece — no
easy feat after being taken to extratime for a third consecutive match, meaning it has played the equivalent of one match more than France.
“We prepared to get to the final and we want to play it. Going to extra-time might be a problem along with the fact France have had an extra day to recover but there will be no excuses,” Dalic said.
England’s players slumped onto the turf at the final whistle, barely able to believe that their hopes had been dashed after reaching a first semi-final since 1990.
“We’re gutted,” said Harry Kane, whose golden touch deserted him yesterday but who is still on course to finish as the tournament’s top goalscorer with six goals.
“It hurts, it hurts a lot. It’s going to hurt for a while, of course. We can hold our heads up high. It’s been a fantastic journey. We got further than anyone else could thought we would have.”
Having led for over an hour, the defeat will be difficult for England to digest, but the team has won many admirers in Russia.
“I can’t ask for more from the players,” said Southgate. “I think knockout football is about fine margins and when you have good spells against fine sides you need to take your chances.”
In London, an initial wave of elation turned to heartbreak as 30,000 beersoaked fans in Hyde Park watched their team come up short. About 30 million people were believed to have
watched the match on TV in Britain.
Trippier gave England a dream start, curling in a free-kick from 25 yards past the despairing dive of Danijel Subasic after Dele Alli was brought down in a central position.
Croatia started to find their range in the second half and Perisic levelled for Croatia in the 68th minute, nipping ahead of Kyle Walker to steer home Sime Vrsaljko’s cross past a diving Jordan Pickford.
Mandzukic scored the winning goal in the 109th minute, sweeping the ball low past Pickford after Perisic’s header back into the area caught the England defence on the hop.
France will start as favourite for the third final in its history after beating Belgium 1-0 in St Petersburg on Wednesday.