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Samara / Vienna. For 52 years, England was waiting for the next big national title, and at the World Cup in Russia, Gareth Southgate's team is closer to the dream than ever before. With the 2-0 win over Sweden, the Three Lions returned to the semifinals for the first time since 1990, the route is clear. "We have not finished yet," said Harry Kane, who scored six goals in the top scorer crown.
Two wins are missing on the second World Cup title after 1966, despite the opportunity that players and coaches are looking for. "The collective spirit is the reason we're here, we do not have world-clbad players yet, but a lot of boys have mental toughness," said Southgate, who has squeezed every player into his arms after the match.In the semifinal against Croatia on Wednesday he will return to the unit of the team. "We told the guys before the match that we wanted to stay here a week longer. Now it's up to us to know what are the two games we're still playing here. In a semi-final, the final will end Sunday, if not the match for third place.
Master of the Sleeping Bales
Despite all the euphoria, Southgate reprimanded in the usual way. "We still need to improve – players and support staff," said the 47-year-old. Being under the last four does not mean being among the four strongest teams in the world. "We have to prove it first," said the coach. Playful, the English team still has potential for development. The old "kick" was successfully pbaded, the Three Lions showed real dominance but only in the group matches against Tunisia and Panama.
Also against the Swedish collective the English offered their efforts and could hardly try their luck. "We played against an opponent who has a clear identity and whose unity was once too much for us," said Southgate. In the recent 15 duels only two full shots against the Scandinavians. This time, England could once again count on its greatest strength: central defender Harry Maguire came home after a 1-0 corner – the English eighth goal after a dead ball, no other team did not manage to get out of normal situations. After the break, Dele Alli made the decision and said, "We feel the support at home, that suits us very well."
Another successful successor was Jordan Pickford, who once again played in full form and defeated two great Swedish opportunities with splendid parades. "I'm just trying to work hard on myself and give the best on the court for my team," said the 24-year-old modestly. It's time for Pickford to add a new chapter to his country's football history. "When England reached the semifinals for the last time, I was not yet in the world. We want to write our own story," said Everton goalkeeper.
The fan rush delayed
In England, the triumph was celebrated, but after Samara only 3500 trailers arrived, many places remained empty in the stadium. At the 2006 World Cup, there were still 30,000 fans for the quarter-final against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen. Due to higher prices and longer distances this time a lot fewer tickets orders from England (34,235) than, for example, from Germany (71,687) or Colombia (68,667) were recorded. For the semifinal against Croatia in Moscow is now expected a rush, British Airways has announced additional flights. (swi / ag.)
("Die Presse", printed edition, 09.07.2018)
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