Steely Croatia send England home
GRITTY SHOW Shaking off a subdued start, Balkan nation rides Mario Mandzukic’s extratime goal to make final for the first time
poke in a Sime Vrsaljko cross.
Four minutes later, he almost gave his side the lead but his shot hit the post.
It was in the fourth minute of extra-time when Mario Mandzukic found the winner. The assist? Perisic with a clever header that helped set up the shooting opportunity for Mandzukic.
“We started slowly, but we showed our character just as in the previous two knockout games when we were a goal down. We didn’t use to be that resilient,” said Perisic.
RESILIENT LOT
It is this new-found resilience that has helped produce one of the stories of this World Cup. Croatia have often flattered to deceive on the biggest of stages in the past.
In 2008, an impressive group stage was followed by a quarterfinal exit at the hands of Turkey in the European Championships.
In the same tournament eight years later, they were knocked out by Portugal after topping a tough group.
This time, there seems to be renewed belief among the players.
“When we started our preparation six weeks ago, I insisted that I cannot teach these players football. They play fantastic football already. I am in charge of some other things. This is what they have accepted. Initially, on their part there may not have been full trust and confidence but as the tournament progressed they have gained confidence,” Dalic explained.
They would need bagfuls of confidence when they take on mighty France at this same venue in Sunday’s final. But like Dalic said, they haven’t been short of that.
Twenty years ago, Croatia’s World Cup dreams had come crashing down against France in the semi-finals.
“Maybe the dear Lord is giving us the chance to settle a score,” Dalic said of the title clash. Perisic 68, Mandzukic 109 England have now been eliminated in four of their five major semi-finals, losing each of the last four in a row (Euro 1968 v Yugoslavia, World Cup 1990 v Germany, Euro 1996 v Germany and World Cup 2018 v Croatia).
Kieran Trippier became the first player to score a direct free-kick for England at the World Cup since David Beckham in 2006 (against Ecuador).
England have lost three competitive games against Croatia (3) since the turn of the Millennium, more than any against any other nation.
England United, first in hope, now in defeat”.
British media reflected on Thursday on England’s heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals, praising manager Gareth Southgate and his young team despite their exit.
England won plaudits not just for their deeds on the pitch -reaching the semis for the first time since 1990 -- but for bringing together a nation bitterly divided over Brexit.
“Our divided nation has been united thanks to a polite Englishman and a bunch of modern ordinary lads,” said the Sun.
“Forget Manchester United, West Ham United, Newcastle United. For now we’re an England United, first in hope, now in defeat.” The Daily Mirror also credits Southgate and his men for fostering a spirit of unity.
NO SHAME
“They go into Saturday’s thirdplace play-off (against Belgium) with their heads held high, knowing they have done themselves proud and put a smile back on a conflicted country’s face.”
The Times points out that since England won the World Cup in 1966, Britain has joined what is now the European Union and is heading towards the exit.
“Whether we will actually have exited the EU by the time we make our next World Cup final is a moot point,” it says.
“However, as the impressive England manager Gareth Southgate has said, the team did create a brief sense of unity at a time of division,” it adds.
“England beaten, but Southgate has relit the fire, say proud fans,” said a Guardian headline.
“Those players will look back eventually on a tournament that has shifted England’s reputation for leaden football and tournament neuroticism,” it said.
Four out of five matches in this Cup to go to extra time have involved either England or
Croatia (other was Spain v Russia) Off target
6
On target
1 14 3 4 1 0
LONDON:“An FOULS OFFSIDES CORNERS YELLOW CARDS RED CARDS
England scored nine goals from set pieces at the 2018 World Cup – the most by a team in a single World Cup tournament since 1966.
“All the same, it may take some time to shake off losing this semifinal, the knowledge that the World Cup may never open up so obligingly again and the additional trauma from the fact that, for a long while, Gareth Southgate’s team had led us to believe they could do it. They really did.