Look from the book
Watching England’s heartbreaking loss to Croatia at a Vegas casino an experience
LAS VEGAS — The tension was palpable at the sports book at the Wynn Casino on the Vegas strip. As England and Croatia duelled with a spot in the World Cup final on the line, there was excitement, but also quite a bit of hand-wringing.
The mood at the packed sports book was anxious, like Game 1 of any Toronto Raptors playoff series.
The crowd was about 5-1 in favour of English supporters, and with years of soccer stumbles weighing on them, those on hand went from clapping at their team’s introduction and singing God Save the Queen, to delirious with joy at an early strike by Kieran Trippier, to gritting their teeth, in a slightly panicked manner, basically waiting for something terrible to happen (more on that later).
The English supporters had the numbers here, though the biggest fan taking in the action (if we’re being literal) was 7-foot-1 Phoenix Suns centre Dragan Bender, who shook hands with fellow Croatia supporters and posed for pictures before the match. Bender, the fourth pick of the 2016 NBA draft, who grew up in Split, Croatia, had the day off from Summer League action.
When the game started, everyone settled in — some were in their seats, those who couldn’t find a spot leaned on railings or the bar to watch, while others still pulled on slot machine handles a few yards away, completely oblivious to the fact that the nation that invented soccer had not this far at a World Cup since 1990 and had not lifted the trophy since 1966.
Not two minutes after an England fan had been cursing Trippier’s name for a lack of success on set pieces, Trippier curled in a majestic goal. Most of the crowd went berserk. Bender and his group looked glum.
England’s supporters had their turn to grimace, a handful of turns, really, when saves were made by the Croatian ‘keeper and especially when star striker Harry Kane could not finish two glorious opportunities.
“He had so much time,” lamented one fan, not long after another had called for the removal of ineffective defender Ashley Young.
Meanwhile, backers of both sides cried out about uncalled fouls and when England’s Kyle Walker picked up a silly yellow card, the response from someone with an English accent was, “What afool.”
A possibly superstitious Bender, perhaps hoping to change Croatia’s luck, departed at halftime.
Sure enough, in his absence, Croatia rallied and took control of the game, equalizing in the 68th minute to screams of “yes” from the vastly outnumbered, but still vocal Croatia backers. And when Croatia hit the winner in the 109th minute there was screaming, dancing and huge smiles from a few people and stunned silence and heads held in hands from many more.
“If we go to penalties, we will lose,” one wizened England supporter had said earlier in the morning.
At least they were spared that indignity.