CROATIA 2, ENGLAND 1 AET (1-1 FT) – Croatia advance to the World Cup Final
England’s 1-0 lead over Croatia was overturned by the experienced campaigners who weathered an early storm to beat Gareth Southgate’s young team. At least it didn’t go to penalties this time.
England couldn’t take their chances when Croatia were there to be beaten and succumbed to an extra time winning goal by Mario Mandzukic and couldn’t find the energy to react after going down to ten men having lost Kieran Trippier to injury after using all their subs.
Trippier’s free kick after just five minutes put England on top very quickly but Harry Kane and Jesse Lingard soon regretted missed great chances to extend the England first half lead before Croatia regrouped after the break.
Ivan Perisic equalised in the second half and hit the woodwork when it looked more likely that the Croats would go ahead as England reeled in the final quarter of the game with Luka Modric released from England’s midfield shackles.
After a stress free first 30 minutes in the World Cup, England retreated within themselves after Croatia hauled themselves back into the semi final and finished the regulation 90 minutes strongly.
John Stones had a header cleared off the line in Extra Time while Pickford rushed off his line to deny Mario Mandzukic a shot with a ball flying in towards him.
Mandzukic finally broke the deadlock as England lost concentration with a 109th minute strike following a tired England clearance that beat Pickford.
Southgate’s last throw of the dice was to bring on Jamie Vardy for Kyle Walker but it backfired when Kieran Trippier limped off just when they needed his dead balls the most and Kane proved to be having an off day after a tiring campaign.
England play Belgium for third place before coming home
England will now have a third place play off against Belgium before coming home on Sunday having at least reignited the English public’s passion for international football again.
Gareth Southgate had earlier kept faith with the side that had beaten Colombia and Sweden while Croatia’s walking wounded goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and right back Vrsaljko reported for duty with just one tactical change – former Leicester City striker Andrej Kramaric stepped down in favour of Marcelo Brozovic who was used in midfield.
Dele Alli was tripped by Luka Modric as Croatia looked to press England hard early in the game.
Trippier’s central free kick curled over the wall and into the right hand side of Danijel Subasic’s goal to give England just the start they were looking for with the Croatian keeper nowhere near it.
The Spurs man’s goal meant he became only England’s second player to score from a direct free kick at the World Cup since 1966 following David Beckham’s goals in 1998 and 2006.
It was some way to open his account for the national team – in the semi-final of the World Cup and England had the Croats where they wanted them – and what a way to score England’s ninth goal from set pieces at a single World Cup – the most by any team in a single edition of the tournament since 1966.
England continued to threaten at corners, and Trippier’s routines allowed Harry Maguire a header which was wide of the target in the first 15 minutes as they tried to test Subasic at every opportunity.
Croatia began to build patiently, Perisic went close with a chance while Stones blocked a Vrsaljko cross – not the first time an England defender would clear the danger.
England’s big chances to double their lead over Croatia
Raheem Sterling was played higher up the pitch in this game – constantly reminding the Croat defence of his pace and almost broke free but for a covering tackle while Dejan Lovren was testing the referee’s patience with his fouls while England passed up a good chances to extend their lead.
Sterling’s strike partner Harry Kane flashed a shot wide from an offside position after a poor clearance from Subasic fell to the City winger but Sterling opted to try and find Kane rather than attempt a shot from outside the box or take the ball into choppy waters inside the box.
Kane also spurned a great chance to double England’s lead, laid on by Jesse Lingard, on the half hour mark when his low shot was smothered by Subasic who gratefully dived on the loose ball. Lingard was also sent clear by Alli but failed to hit the target with plenty of time to craft a better shot on goal.
It wasn’t all plan sailing for England, though, as Pickford made a great save after Rebic sent back Stones’ clearance following more Croat pressure following their earlier let-off.
Rebic was also denied by Ashley Young with a saving tackle to take the ball away from him with Croatia carving out chances when they had the ball.
And a rushed clearance by Pickford found it way to Ivan Rakitic who drifted ever closer to shooting range before England got the ball away as Croatia continued to threaten sporadically before the break with Lovren a danger with a final set piece routine before half time.
Rebic and Perisic switched flanks in the second half as Croatia attempted to get around the England defence which held firm.
Croatia were still trying to build attacks, though, and England didn’t seem as energetic as in the first half.
Kane got closer in the second half when he dived towards a low Trippier volleyed cross but couldn’t reach it and Lovren cleared.
Ivan Perisic levels things for Croatia as England retreat
Kyle Walker bravely blocked a fierce shot by Perisic on 65 minutes as Croatia started to prise apart the England defence, the Manchester City full ball stayed down following his intervention.
But Perisic got his goal in the 68th minute when he got in front of Walker and volleyed the ball past Pickford from 12 yards out after Dele Alli failed to get tight enough to Sime Vrsaljko before he crossed from the right.
And Perisic hit the woodwork at the back post four minutes later after England panicked on the edge of their own area while Pickford was lucky to be behind Rebic’s follow-up strike to keep the scores level.
Southgate brought on Marcus Rashford for Sterling as England tried to get their momentum back but despite the the odd flash of brilliance.
Lingard dragged a shot wide but England were still panicky with Trippier’s back pass almost seized upon by a Croatian player before Stones rescued him.
Pickford also saved well from Mandzukic when Brozovic sent him clear in the 83rd minute while the England ‘keeper palmed the ball away with Perisic closing in for another go.
Not even a final free kick from Trippier could coax a late drama from Kane as both sides had to settle for the dreaded Extra Time.
England lose concentration in Extra Time as experienced Croatia take control
Danny Rose replaced Ashley Young at the start of Extra Time and Croatia finally started to succumb to fatigue.
Ivan Strinic was replaced by Josip Pivaric while Jordan Henderson made way for Eric Dier.
Versaljko’s header on the line denied John Stones another goal from another great Trippier corner as England rallied and Pickford cleared out the ball and Mandzukic as he shaped to meet a fast Croatia cross.
Lingard lost Brosevic who had to shoot with his wrong foot from a Croatia corner as concentration levels slipped in the second period of extra time.
The encroaching danger quickly came to pass as Mandzukic pounced on a Croatian header back into the area to stab home after Trippier’s clearance was sent back into the area and Stones lost his man.
With barely 12 minutes to go, Southgate’s had to act and brought on Jamie Vardy for Kyle Walker.
Unfortunately England’s troubles magnified with Trippier limping off with five minutes to go leaving England down to ten men and without England’s set piece expert on the pitch they couldn’t make the most of what remained of their World Cup campaign.
CROATIA vs ENGLAND – MATCH STATS
Croatia: Subasic, Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Strinic (Pivaric 95), Brozovic, Rebic (Kramaric 101), Modric (Badelj 119), Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic (Corluka 115)
Booked: Mandzukic 51, Rebic 96
Goal: Perisic 68, Mandzukic 109
England: Pickford, Walker (Vardy 112), Stones, Maguire, Henderson (Dier 97), Trippier, Lingard, Alli, Young (Rose 90), Kane, Sterling (Rashford 74)
Booked: Walker 54
Goal: Trippier 5