itsbeautifuloutside

Match Report

IBO Reporter: OneBeat

A World Cup semi final for England, I have to say I didn’t expect this, but the results have gone for England, they’ve had some luck, scored some goals and here we are. And the country has gone mad.

Everyone will know that this is the first World Cup semi-Final a England have been in since 1990. Except that it’s not, England’s Women were in the World Cup semi final in 2015, losing 2-1 to Japan.

I remember the last time the men’s team were in a World Cup semi final, it may well have been the last World Cup I enjoyed as much as this one. However it’s not England that I think of when I look back at that tournament; I remember Cameroon, but mainly I think of Toto Scillachi being crazy and lucky and totally great to watch; his goals and manic eyes made him my favourite player of that World Cup. The memories of him stayed with me, and, a couple of years later I scored four goals in a game, and each time the ball went in a friend of mine screamed, from the sideline, “Scillachi” in the style of the World Cup commentators. My friend died suddenly a few weeks later, and that was the last time I saw him. So World Cup 1990 reminds me of a small Italian striker and then a much missed friend.

Anyway. I left work at 6 and usually town is fairly empty at that time, what people that are around are making their way out of town; but tonight people were flooding into town, most with England shirts on and draped in flags. One lad, in a group of 6 or 7, smashed a bottle and then jostled me as I passed him. He looked about 12! Another couple passed me saying “It’s just an excuse for a night out, ain’t it.” I also saw a group of what looked like Exchange Students walking through town, and I wondered what they were going make of the great British public by the end of the night.

Unfortunately I wasn’t going home, I was off to watch the game with the family, and as I drove across town, more people in England gear we heading towards the town centre.

Before the start, while I was sat down ready to watch the game at my parents’ house (surrounded by B and S, ma and pa, my sister, two nieces, my nephew and his girlfriend), I was attacked by a drunken hooligan. Well, my dad, who’s obviously been drinking, slapped me round the head for teasing him about being drunk. It was odd to feel the nervousness in the room, mostly from the ones who, although they are interested in football, they are not regular viewers.

The game started so well, Trippier’s free kick was excellent as it flew over the jumping wall into the top corner, but the reaction in the house seemed to be “It’s too early.” So no one was getting over excited, and no one chucked their beverage into the air.

Hoddle was off early with the usual buffoonery: “The referee’s made some good decisions, the wrong decisions, but good for us.”

England should have capitalised on the good start to the game, but Kane kept hitting long balls, and after exclaiming that everything was “just balls flying back and forth”, my dad went to sleep.

Kane could and maybe should have scored a second, and it was the best chance they had in a first half that was pretty easy for England. Croatia’s few attacks did cause a little bit of panic every now and then, but generally England were in control, while Croatia looked like a team who’d had two tough games, ending with extra time and penalty shootouts. England should have been more than 1-0 up at half time. I went to sit in the garden for a while.

In the second half, England stopped playing football, and their defending became sloppy. Their attacks didn’t really look as though they would hurt Croatia any further, and it was no surprise to me when Croatia made it 1-1. Perisic poked the ball home after getting in ahead of Walker who’d stooped as he tried to head clear.

England had paid the price for not putting this game to bed in the first half. Pickford had to make a superb save to stop Croatia going into the lead as it looked like they had been given a shot of adrenaline.

I’m not sure why Sterling was taken off for Rashford and not Lingard. Sterling gets a lot of stick, but I like him and I think he offers England something that the others don’t. I usually like Lingard, but he’d been a bit anonymous in this game.

At one point in the second half Tyldsley said “England pass it down the pitch.” Just as England lumped it forward to no one, again.

And so we headed into extra time. My sister and my eldest niece headed out to the garden as they “couldn’t watch.” Croatia continued to look the more dangerous team.

Into the second 15 minutes of extra time and England continued to defend badly and after another bit of hesitation in the area Mandzukic scored to put Croatia 2-1 up.

Tyldsley sadly said that it was the first time England have been behind in this World Cup. Not sure how they lost to Belgium then?

Croatia were the only ones trying to play football in extra time, while England were poor, which was disappointing after such a perfect start. England had one last chance to put in a quality free kick, but they don’t, it was cleared, and that was it, England were out.

It was there for the taking and they didn’t grasp it. It’s a shame but I couldn’t have seen them beating France in the final. France are better than Croatia, but there seems to be some momentum around Croatia and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them lifting the trophy on Sunday. England still have the third place playoff to play on Saturday, and going back to 2015, the woman did win their third place play-off, beating Germany.

Roll on 2019 in France.