Two headers are better than none
England converts on set pieces to gain semifinals
England achieved something David Beckham’s generation never managed: It reached the semifinals of the World Cup.
Harry Maguire and Dele Alli scored with headers in a 2- 0 win over Sweden on Saturday in Samara, Russia, earning England’s youthful team a match against Croatia for a place in the final next Sunday.
“We looked composed,” England captain Harry Kane said. “We looked like we controlled the game.”
England’s fairly muted celebrations reflected the routine nature of the victory over a hard- working Swedish side that already had gone further than expected in its first major tournament without Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
England’s deep run also is a surprise. Not even the England side with stars such as Beckham, Steven Gerrard and a young Wayne Rooney ever got this far at a major tournament.
The 1966 World Cup champions last reached the semifinals in 1990, losing the first of a series of haunting penalty shootouts. In 2014, the team didn’t even make it out of the group stage.
Yet the performances of Gareth Southgate’s squad — the second youngest at the tournament — are being celebrated wildly back home. Even at Wimbledon, the home of lawn tennis, updates of England’s goals were spread by fans watching or listening to the match on their cellphones.
“I know the fans here are enjoying it,” Kane said. “The fans at home, I’m sure we’ll see some videos tonight of them enjoying it.”
Maguire opened the scoring when he headed in a driven corner from Ashley Young in the 30th minute. It was England’s eighth setpiece goal of its 11 in Russia.
The standard of England’s crossing has stood out in particular, and Alli added the second goal by meet- ing a far- post cross from midfielder Jesse Lingard with a powerful header in the 59th. At 22, Alli became the second- youngest scorer for England at a World Cup behind Michael Owen.
“We knew set plays would be key,” Maguire said. “And also that little ball that Jesse sent in for Dele, that was great. We worked on that in practice.”
Sweden was denied a trip to the semifinals for the first time since 1994.
Croatia 2, Russia 2 ( Croatia wins 4- 3 on penalty kicks)
Ivan Rakitic converted the winning penalty kick in Sochi to lift Croatia into the semifinals for the first time since its debut as an independent nation in 1998.
Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic saved the first attempt of the shootout when he made an adjustment while diving to get a hand on Fyodor Smolov’s attempt.
With the crowd silenced following an extra- time header from Croatia defender Domagoj Vida in the 101st minute, Russia defender Mario Fernandes scored with his own header in the 115th to send the match to the shootout.
Denis Cheryshev gave Russia the lead in regulation time with a longrange shot into the upper corner in the 31st minute. Croatia tied with Andrej Kramaric’s header near half.
The spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the Russian president regards the national soccer team as heroes despite the loss.
Putin “watched; he hurt. Our team lost in an honest, beautiful game. But to us they are fine fellows — heroes,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency. “They died on the field. We are proud of them.”
Russia was denied a trip to the semifinals for the first time since the Soviet Union finished fourth in 1966.
Croatia became the first team to win consecutive World Cup shootouts since Argentina in 1990.