Deschamps: There’s a spirit in the squad that can move mountains’
and then looked the more dangerous side.
It stayed level at 90 minutes, meaning Croatia faced extra time for the third successive game, having got past Denmark and Russia on penalties.
But just when it looked as if they would become the first team to appear in three shootouts at a single World Cup Mandzukic struck with a welltaken low shot.
England had got off to a flying start when Trippier curled a superb free kick into the top corner.
It was his first goal for his country, England’s 12th of the tournament and ninth from a set-piece, but they should have added more from open play as they revelled in the space they were being given in the first half.
Harry Kane shot weakly at Danijel Subasic when through, then forced the rebound against a post and Raheem Sterling was a constant thorn in the Croatia defence, though again his final ball was too often astray.
The best chance for a second goal, however, was wasted by an unmarked Jesse Lingard when he curled wide when a goal looked certain.
Croatia had been desperately poor but started to get a foothold in the game as the match rolled past the hour mark and Luka Modric’s influence grew.
England paid the price for those early misses when Perisic showed great determination to get in front of Kyle Walker to meet a curling Sime Vrsaljko cross and though his boot was arguably high, Walker was stooping and there were few complaints.
Perisic should have added another three minutes later when ragged defending presented him with a great shooting chance but he cannoned the ball against a post.
It was a different game from then on, with Croatia suddenly playing with accuracy and purpose as England lost their shape and composure, though Kane missed a chance to win it in stoppage time when he headed wide from a free kick.
Vrsaljko cleared a John Stones header off the line midway through the first extra period.
But it was Croatia who struck in the 109th minute when Perisic won a header on the edge of the box and the ball dropped for Mandzukic whose firm low finish beat Pickford. – Reuters ST PETERSBURG: Should France go on to win the World Cup on Sunday, they would have peaked perfectly after starting the tournament in Russia slowly.
Tournament experience has been key for both the players and coach Didier Deschamps, who has learnt lessons from the last World Cup in Brazil, where they lost to Germany in the quarter-final, and the disappointment of missing out on home soil in the European Championship two years ago.
No more so than on Tuesday as they edged Belgium in the semi-final to go within one game of a second World Cup win, 20 years after their first.
While questions were asked after an uninspiring start, which included a controversial win over Australia and narrowly beating Peru, France secured a knockout round spot.
However in the knockout stages the French showed their full capability in beating Argentina, Uruguay and then Belgium 1-0 in the semi-final.
“We have prepared well, I can brag a little about that,” laughed Deschamps.
“The older players all played their role as leaders and the youngsters brought their energy. I have a squad with a good blend.
“No one complains and they all realise the importance of the competition. When there was an opportunity to be seized, they took it.”
There have been positive aspects to their game. A lack of panic when they were 2-1 down against Argentina in the last-16 before they won 4-3, and patience in breaking down stubborn Uruguay.
For France, losing in the 2016 European Championships final to Portugal in Paris has provided added motivation.
“It was very difficult to accept what happened two years ago, and we do not want it to happen again,” said captain Hugo Lloris.
Deschamps, who captained France’s only World Cup winning side in 1998, said the march to Sunday’s final has been underpinned by a steely determination.
“There is a spirit in the squad that can move mountains,” he said. “We have created an opportunity to become world champions but we are still not there. But we want to fulfil our destiny.”
France midfielder Paul Pogba dedicated his side’s semi-final win to the 12 Thai boys who were rescued from a flooded cave along with their coach on Tuesday.
“This victory goes to the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong,” Pogba wrote on his Twitter account.
The “Wild Boars” soccer team, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach became trapped on June 23 while exploring the cave in Chiang Rai when a rainy season downpour flooded the tunnels.
Yesterday, La Liga said they had invited the team to attend a Spanish top flight game when they have fully recovered.
La Liga’s president Javier Tebas said: “We would like to host them and share with them the happiness of football, hoping that this can go some way to helping them after everything they’ve been through in the last few weeks.” - Reuters