Mario Mandzukic broke English hearts by firing in an extra-time winner to send the Three Lions crashing out of the World Cup on Wednesday. But Gareth Southgate’s men can leave Russia with their heads held high after vastly exceeding pre-tournament expectations, uniting a divided nation and sparking hope among fans. Their captivating run to the World Cup semi-finals was littered with glorious moments, and here are the top five that fans will forever cherish:
Kane doubles up against Tunisia
England’s World Cup campaign began in inauspicious fashion on June 18 as they struggled to overcome a physical Tunisian side. Captain Harry Kane nodded in the opener to settle the nerves, but Nabil Maaloul’s men equalised after they were awarded a soft penalty. From then on they defended like they were in a Royal Rumble, putting Kane in headlocks and dragging him to the floor at corners. The referee should have awarded at least two penalties, but instead of feeling sorry for himself, Kane peeled away from his marker and headed in a stoppage time winner, sparking jubilation among fans.
Panama hit for six
The officials were wise to dodgy defending by the time England’s second group game came around, and England were awarded two penalties. Kane fired in both of them in ferocious fashion, and later completed his hat-trick. A carnival atmosphere infused the game, and fans were extremely comfortable as they watched their heroes annihilate the opposition 6-1. The standout moment came when Jesse Lingard played a one-two with Raheem Sterling and curled a delicious strike past the hapless goalkeeper from 25 yards. He then displayed some fancy footwork in a post-goal hype dance, rubbing salt into Panamanian wounds.
Shootout joy
Hearts sank when England’s last 16 clash against Colombia descended into a dreaded penalty shootout. The Three Lions had no nothing but misery in this department over the years, ever since Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed against West Germany to send the team crashing out at the semi-final stage in 1990. Southgate himself was the villain six years later, as his miss handed Germany victory at Euro 1996, leaving him needing a paper bag over his head while dining at Pizza Hut. In 1998 David Batty missed the crucial kick, and in 2004 it was Phil Neville, while Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were all found wanting against Portugal in 2006. They lost their sixth consecutive shootout at Euro 2012, a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Italy, and this long and miserable history must have weighed heavily on the players’ minds ahead of the Colombia shootout. But the Three Lions finally broke the hoodoo in stirring fashion. Young goalkeeper Jordan Pickford got down to pull off an exceptional save, leaving Eric Dier to take the decisive kick. The Spurs midfielder was utterly nerveless as he stepped up and slammed in the winner. Cue ecstasy in the stands and back home, while Southgate achieved cathartic redemption in the dugout.
Pickford’s heroics
England’s finest victory came in the quarter-finals, when they put a dogged and stubborn Swedish team to the sword with a mature performance. Goals from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli handed the Three Lions a 2-0 win, but Pickford was once again the hero of the day. The Everton stopper produced a string of fine saves, and the pick of the bunch was a diving effort to keep out a low drive from Marcus Berg. At that point, Swedish heads went down, as if they sensed they would never be able to get past a man in such inspired form. It proved to be England’s only clean sheet, and Pickford should cherish it forever.
Trippier bends it like Beckham
Optimism abounded after five minutes of England’s semi-final against Croatia, after wing-back Kieran Trippier channelled his inner David Beckham. The team won a free-kick in a dangerous position, but few fans expected Trippier to deliver quite such a sumptuous strike. It was like watching Beckham in his prime as he got it up and over the wall and then down and spinning into the top corner. He wheeled away in delight, and that set the tone for an amazing first half. England should have been 3-0 up at the break and they could have killed the game off. But the Croatians came back strong in the second half and England ran out of steam. Tripper had to limp off the pitch before the end of extra-time as his body was ravaged by cramp, and he could only watch on powerless as the Croats rolled around on the floor and closed out the game. Now they are in the final and they have a shot at sporting immortality, although anyone looking at the sports spread betting lines will see that they are underdogs against a strong French side, and England are left with what ifs. But Trippier will always be able to look back fondly on that stunning free-kick that had a nation daring to dream.
