ON THE SPOT
Pickford saves England to end penalty hoodoo COLOMBIA 1 ENGLAND 1 WORLD CUP, ENGL AND WON 4-3 ON PENS
England’s Harry Kane and teammates celebrate winning the penalty shootout in their World Cup match with Colombia in Russia last night to clinch a quarter-final tie with Sweden on Saturday.
ENGLAND ignored the failings of the past, which had included six shoot-out defeats out of seven at major tournaments, to beat Colombia on penalties last night and claim a World Cup quarter-final with Sweden.
Manager Gareth Southgate’s team appeared to be taking a more straight-forward route via the penalty spot to Saturday’s game in Samara when captain Harry Kane netted from 12 yards in the second half of normal time.
The Tottenham striker, who had been wrestled to the deck by Carlos Sanchez, nervelessly placed the spot-kick down the middle and England seemed set for a single-goal win.
But after Jordan Pickford had made a stunning late save at the expense of a corner the flag-kick was headed in by Colombia’s Yerry Mina.
When extra-time failed to split the sides, and then Jordan Henderson was the first to miss in the shoot-out, more sudden-death misery seemed certain.
But after Mateus Uribe hit the crossbar, Pickford then saved Carlos Bacca’s attempt and Eric Dier gave England a 4-3 penalty victory.
Southgate hailed the value of England’s shootout preparation.
“They are tough,” said the Three Lions’ boss, who famously missed the penalty that saw England eliminated from Euro 96 at the semi-final stage against Germany.
“We talked long and hard about owning the process. They kept calm – great credit to all our staff and the players who’ve taken everything on board, and we got our reward.
“We looked at individual technique, we looked at how we needed to be as a team. The goalkeeper’s very important in that.”
Southgate also praised the mental strength of his side in the face of provocation from Colombia for much of the contest. Asked if the opposition’s approach was unexpected, he said: “I don’t know if I didn’t expect it, but we didn’t rise to it, which was brilliant. A couple of times we lost our cool a little bit, but generally speaking we kept our nerve.
“Our fans that were here were brilliant, but it was almost an away game, so to deal with all of that was exceptional.
“It’s something the players can always look back on now and draw on as an experience.
“We’ve talked about creating their own stories and creating their own history and we’ve done a little bit of that [with the win over Colombia].
“We go to a quarter-final, but I don’t want to go home yet.”
Dier said of Pickford: “He was incredible.
“He’s a fantastic goalkeeper and he was fantastic in the penalty shoot-out.
“He’s been fantastic in training for them and he’s taken it into the game.”
On his own pressure moment, the Tottenham midfielder added: “It was a nervous one, I’ve never had a situation like that before.
“I felt like I had to score after the header I missed at the end [of extra-time], and I’m just thankful I scored that one.”
Pickford said: “I’ve got that power and agility to get around the goal – I don’t care if I’m not the biggest ’keeper I’ve got that power and agility and I’m very good [at (penalties].”
England had researched Colombia’s penalty takers beforehand and Pickford said: “We had a fair feeling, and [Radamel] Falcao was the only one who didn’t go his (usual) way.”
England’s only previous shootout success at a major tournament before last night had come in 1996 when they beat Spain.
Yorkshireman David Seaman was the hero that night at Wembley as the Arsenal goalkeeper saved from Miguel Angel Nadal to send England through.
JORDAN PICKFORD helped England end their penalty shootout hoodoo and reach the World Cup quarter-finals at the expense of Colombia in Moscow.
After decades stewing on his Euro 96 semi-final miss against Germany, Gareth Southgate has spent recent months trying to improve their chances in Russia if it went all the way.
Things looked set to go pearshaped when Jordan Henderson’s penalty was saved, only for Mateus Uribe’s spot-kick to rattle the bar and goalkeeper Pickford to deny Carlos Bacca.
Eric Dier kept his composure in the Spartak Stadium cauldron, propelling the Three Lions to a famous 4-3 shootout win after it ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time.
Sweden now await in a mouthwatering Samara quarter-final on Saturday, which England approach buoyed by a display of character and coolness which belied this group’s tender years. But things should not have got this far.
England edged the first half and Colombia should have been reduced to 10 men after Wilmar Barrios headbutted Henderson, yet he inexplicably only received a booking from referee Mark Geiger.
The group managed to control their emotions, even when Raheem Sterling was barged by a Colombia coach, and captain Harry Kane epitomised their strength of character by firing home from the penalty spot after three minutes of gamesmanship.
But England never do things the easy way. Pickford’s incredible one-handed save looked to put Southgate’s men through only for Yerry Mina to jump high at a corner to head home three minutes into stoppage time.
Extra-time came and went as the match went to penalties, where the Three Lions won the shootout and their first knockout match since 2006.
It was an amazing end to a remarkable evening.
Jose Pekerman’s side looked intent on outfighting England without injured star James Rodriguez, with the Three Lions’ unhappiness at set-piece manhandling made clear early on.
Kane strained to meet a fine Kieran Trippier cross that he could only direct onto the roof of the as Juan Quintero looked most likely to unpick the lock at the other end.
England lacked such a creative force and their captain surged forward looking to change things. It brought a free-kick and plenty of controversy.
Barrios, who pushed Sterling to the deck earlier in proceedings, planted a headbutt into Henderson’s chest and up to his chin as the players jostled in the wall.
England’s players fumed and Harry Maguire called for the video assistant referee, yet referee Geiger inexplicably only handed out a booking when information came through his headset. Trippier eventually bent that free-kick wide and Kane drove wide before the break, where Sterling’s close attention continued as a Colombian coach barged him.
England returned with the bit between their teeth and Geiger soon pointed to the spot.
Colombia’s players were strangely put out by the decision to pull Carlos Sanchez up for wrestling Kane to the deck, yet Henderson was the only player booked in a lengthy wait that ended with England’s captain smashing home.
Dele Alli, who had earlier looked set to be withdrawn through injury, headed over a fine Trippier cross as tensions threatened to bubble over, with bookings dished out at will.
Jesse Lingard nearly found Kane and felt he should have won a penalty as Maguire kept getting away headers as Colombia looked set to fall short.
The exasperation was palpable when Juan Cuadrado’s miss on the break, just as when Pickford’s world-class stoppage-time save denied Uribe’s stunning longrange effort.
But the corner that followed brought heartache as towering Mina rose to head the ball into the ground, with Trippier only able to direct in off the underside of the bar.
It was a stunning end to normal time that left England ragged and reeling. After struggling through the opening period, Southgate’s men ended on top as Jamie Vardy, Danny Rose and Dier had attempts.
Yet there was no avoiding penalties. The first five found the net before Henderson was denied by a fine save by Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.
However, Uribe’s attempt hit the crossbar and Kieran Trippier levelled, then Pickford produced a super one-handed save to deny Bacca, before Dier fired home the winner.