Pride mixed with pain for Southgate
ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate was a proud man despite saying that his ‘inexperienced’ side lost control of the game after taking such an early lead.
“You’re ahead in a huge game and nobody knows how you’re going to react,” said Southgate. “We lost a little bit of control with the ball and started to go a bit longer.
“There were a few waves of attack we didn’t quite defend in the composed manner we have but great credit to the players because they recovered that in extra-time and I felt took control of the game again.
“On good chances we’ve probably had as many as Croatia have. It’s a blow to ENGLAND’S World Cup dreams came to a crushing end after Croatia rallied to prevent Gareth Southgate’s men reaching the country’s first final in 52 years.
Football will not be coming home at the end of an extraordinary summer after the Three Lions’ hopes of replicating the heroes of 1966 were extinguished in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium semi-final.
Kieran Trippier’s exceptional early free-kick had England dreaming of facing France on Sunday, but Croatia will line-up in their first World Cup final after Ivan Perisic levelled and Mario Mandzukic struck to secure a 2-1 extra-time win.
While few predicted Southgate’s side getting anywhere near Sir Alf Ramsey’s champions at the start of the summer, this bold, young side had looked capable of doing the unthinkable in Russia.
England’s hopes grew as their third World Cup semi-final started with a fifth-minute stunner as Trippier curled home a free-kick that his idol David Beckham would have been proud of. But the Three Lions were unable to press home their advantage and Perisic snuck ahead of Kyle Walker to draw Croatia level midway through the second half, taking the match to extra-time.
Mandzukic struck the killer blow after John Stones’ effort was cleared off the line, with England players collapsing on the floor as the final whistle ended their hopes of glory.
Southgate, unsurprisingly, kept his composure despite suffering more semi-final heartache, having missed the crucial penalty in the Euro 96 shootout defeat to Germany.
It is a galling evening for his team but the future looks bright, even if it is hard after a gut punch that leaves them facing Belgium in Saturday’s third-placed play-off.
England fans did their best to raise their players after putting country over cost and complications to be in Moscow.
They have been given no little excitement this summer and were able to celebrate a superb fifth-minute opener.
Trippier continued his brilliant World Cup by opening his international goal account in style, bending a free-kick that beat the wall and static Danijel Subasic.
“Football’s coming home” echoed around the cavernous Luzhniki as England celebrated, with Harry Maguire looking to quickly add to the fifth-minute opener.
Croatia looked uncomfortable as Raheem Sterling’s directness caused as much of a headache as England’s dead-balls, with the rapid forward threatening to get behind their rattled backline.
Soon it was Croatia’s woodwork rattling. Having collected a through ball from Jesse Lingard and reacted well to his initial attempt being unconvincingly stopped, Harry Kane’s strike from an acute angle was directed on to the post by Subasic.
The offside flag would have seen it