Three games away from something money can’t buy.. sporting immortality
CHANCES like this might come along only once in a lifetime.
Whatever happens in their World Cup quarter-final with Sweden, I hope England will leave no regrets in Russia – and put no limits on what they could achieve.
Their cricket cousins got MBEs, a reception at Downing Street, and an opentopped bus ride when they won the Ashes in 2005.
Just think of the jubilant scenes that could await Gareth Southgate’s team if they come home after next weekend’s final in Moscow covered in glory.
They should dare to dream now. They should dare to dream because they are just three games away from something money can’t buy – sporting immortality.
I know England are optimistic about the future after the success of their various age groups last year, but success at the World Cup is not a divine right.
They must grasp this opportunty with both hands, believe in themselves and play with courage.
To be honest, of all the nations who reached the last eight, Sweden is probably the one England would have wanted to face most of all.
Would they have wanted to come up against Brazil? Probably not.
France? Croatia? Uruguay? No, no and no.
And Sweden would probably have said the same about England. The Swedes have a great record against England, and I suspect this meeting will be very, very close.
It will probably be decided by a single goal – or even penalties again.
Just because England have finally broken their shoot-out jinx at the World Cup, it doesn’t mean another one can’t happen this weekend.
I don’t care that England have scored only two goals from open play in the tournament so far. If their set-pieces are in good working order, that’s a positive sign if the knockout games are tight. If Southgate is considering changes, he might look at Dele Alli, who has not been convincing since his thigh injury against Tunisia, although I know the England coach puts a high price on his link-up play with Harry Kane because of the Tottenham connection. The other possible change is Danny Rose, a natural leftfooter, for Ashley Young at wingback, especially as Sweden right-back Mikael Lustig’s suspension should be an open invitation for England to attack down that flank. But I don’t see Southgate tinkering with his back three, where John Stones and Harry Maguire (below) have been outstanding. Maguire has played so well that Leicester may struggle to keep hold of him after the World Cup.
His performance against Colombia will have put a lot of big clubs on high alert.
I hope England have some gas left in the tank after a mentally and physically exhausting night against Colombia because the heat will test the players’ fitness again in the quarter-final.
But I’m not going to tell Southgate how to button up his waistcoat. He’s been doing absolutely fine so far.
England have not been brilliant but they have got the job done and now they have an amazing opportunity to do something special.
If they reach the semifinals, and even further, the fever pitch back home might even break the internet.