THE DISTANCE
Bring Gareth’s band of brothers crashing back to earth
seemed an age away as the game moved into extra-time.
It is a very select group, those who have scored for England direct from free-kicks. Even more exclufew sive, the little club who have done it at a World Cup. It’s David Beckham, actually. Just him. One against Colombia, most recently against Ecuador in 2006. Still if he does ever decide to form an England World Cup Free-Kick Scorers Society at least he’ll have company at their annual ball.
It began when Dele Alli was fouled by Modric just outside the penalty area D. A trio of England players stood around the ball deliberating, but the suspicion always was that it would be Trippier’s responsibility at this range.
The whole Croatia wall jumped but somehow the Tottenham man got it up, over and down to leave Danijel Subasic grasping at thin air in Croatia’s goal. The ball passed over Dejan Lovren’s head on route. Not small, Lovren. It was a quite exquisite free-kick. Beckham would have been proud of it. So, for that matter, would Cristiano Ronaldo — or Roberto Carlos.
Five minutes is desperately early to take the lead in a semi-final. Better than going behind after five, obviously. But it’s an age to defend that lead and, as against Tunisia, England squandered several chances to ease the pressure.
In the 14th minute, a Trippier corner was met by Harry Maguire and he steered his header low towards the far post.
Then a chance that amazed and frustrated in equal measure. The pass from Jesse Lingard was perfect and suddenly Kane had only Subasic to beat. He tried to slot it past him and the whole stadium expected to see the ball come to rest in the goal, but Subasic saved and Kane scrambled desperately to be first to the rebound, now at an acute angle.
He tried to whip it in but the ball hit the near post, struck Subasic and spun out on the other side. The second chance was tough. But the first? In Kane’s world that was a sitter.
Six minutes later, England could have scored again.
Alli, enjoying his best game of the tournament, found Lingard whose attempt to pass it into the net from the edge of the area was ambitious and found the wrong side of the post.
Of course, when Modric got on the ball so did Croatia, and he controlled the 10 minutes before halftime. It didn’t add up to much, though — an Ante Rebic shot comfortably saved by Pickford, and a important interceptions by Ashley Young and John Stones.
In the 19th minute, a crossfield pass by Modric picked out Perisic, whose low shot went just wide, but England’s chances were better, and clearer.
What mattered, though, was that Croatia took theirs, as Mandzukic booked their World Cup final date with France. CROATIA: Subasic, Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Strinic (Pivaric 95), Rakitic, Brozovic, Rebic (Kramaric 101), Modric (Badelj 119), Perisic, Mandzukic (Corluka 116) Subs not used: Livakovic, Kovacic, Jedvaj, Bradaric, Caleta-Car, Pjaca, Lovren, Kalinic Scorers: Perisic 68, Mandzukic 109 Booked: Mandzukic, Rebic ENGLAND: Pickford, Walker (Vardy 112), Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Alli, Henderson (Dier 97), Lingard, Young (Rose 90), Sterling (Rashford 74), Kane Subs not used: Butland, Welbeck, Cahill, Jones, Delph, Loftus-Cheek, AlexanderArnold, Pope Scorer: Trippier 5 Booked: Walker Referee: Cuneyt Cakir