England
England 1-2 Croatia
The World Cup Semi Final was a nerve wracking match. The first half, England were ahead inside 5 minutes, and then dominated. They should have been 2 or 3 goals up by the interval. The second half was entirely different. Croatia took control, and England saw very little of the ball. It was no surprise when they got their equaliser. And so it went to extra time.
The Croats continued to dominate and although England defended bravely, they were unable to prevent them scoring the winner late in the second half of ET.
The Croats have a quality team, and were fully deserving of their victory. The England players will be disappointed but they can hold their heads high. They were the youngest squad at this competition, the least experienced, but played with passion and it was obvious they were proud to represent their country. For the first time since Euro 96, we had an England team that were a pleasure to watch.
They will be back. They will have learnt a lot and they will be a force to reckon with. Euro 2020, here we come!
12th July 2018