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SAMARA, Russia – So often a source of disappointment and embarrbadment, the English football team is a unifying force among the players and the nation.
At least in some sections of the country divided by the economic, political and social divisions that led Brexit, reaching the semifinals of the World Cup is a welcome distraction from the busy atmosphere. It's an opportunity to climb the traffic lights, toss the beer and toast to the success of footballers in a deluge of delirium never seen in England since the last century.
For the first time since the 1990s, England last four of a major tournament. England will face Croatia on Wednesday for a place in the final after beating Sweden 2-0 on Saturday.
"The chance to connect everyone by football and make a difference," said coach Gareth Southgate of England. is even more powerful than what we do with our results. It's very special. I imagine that there is a big party at home. Not for us.
There is still much to be done for England to reach its first World Cup final since it won the trophy at Wembley in 1966.
But Southgate believes it has breathed new life into the world. 39, humble mentality the locker room that is necessary to continue the journey up to Luzhniki stadium next Sunday. Humility replaced the pride that defined the time of celebrity obsessed David Beckham, where the team had reached the highest stage of all tournaments. Just look at how Harry Maguire, who took the lead in the first goal on Saturday, reported for England for the first time last year with his clothes in a black trash bag rather than in a designer luggage
. a culture of law like glorified England in the hype and the status of being the cradle of football without backing it up with results. And as players began to collect millions of dollars in club salaries, the commitment to the national team was called into question.
"We do not have any world-famous players yet," says Southgate, "but a lot of good young players who demonstrate on the world stage that they're ready to be brave with the ball, trying to play the right way, have shown some mental resilience now. "
At the beginning of his tenure in 2016, Southgate realized that he had to deliver an important message to his players: Any success with the England will be bigger than anything that has been accomplished with their clubs. "They were ready to ward off their club rivalries at the door," said Southgate. "We talked about the importance of having that spirit."
Also, how to recover from adversity. One of the lowest points of English football came two years ago – a few days after the referendum of the European Union in Britain – when a team coached by Roy Hodgson was humiliated by Iceland
. "They will have days when they will not be able to cope with things."
But knowing the misery at Euro 2016 as players – or as a fan in the stadium like Maguire – helped an England led by Harry Kane move forward relatively serenely. his first semifinal of the World Cup since 1990, according to Southgate. England even managed to beat Colombia in the round of 16 on penalties, stopping five consecutive losses in tournaments.
The victories in Russia also reverse an anomaly. England hosts the world's richest football competition – the Premier League – but has not been able to produce a national team to match. Southgate was on the last English team to reach a semifinal, at the 1996 European Championship, when the team's anthem was "Three Lions". The words "return of football" are once again in vogue in Russia. "We have a good balance and the team is united," said Andrew Court, 53, a fan of England, in front of Samara Stadium where Maguire and Dele Alli scored. The goals against Sweden
Southgate, however, look beyond the concept of "hollow football return".
Reflecting a studious approach, the platform gained from its biggest day in football has been used to deliver several powerful messages. . Above all, Southgate wants more English to play alongside Premier League imports.
"The most remarkable thing is that we are in a semifinal," said Southgate. "We only have 33% of the league to choose from, so it's still a big problem for us, and we play a few young players who are barely established in their clubs, let alone international careers."
"But we think that they are able to play as we want. play, show great pride, play with the same level of quality, show the kind of mentality to work for the group, "he said.
And it is a group that reflects the diversity of England. divide England where so much wealth is centered in the south.
Southgate singled out the less affluent northern cities where players like Maguire came from.
"All of these players come from different parts of the country," Southgate says, "and they will be young people who look at home from the regions they come from.They will be inspiring."
___ [19659022] Rob Harris is on www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports
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More coverage of the AP World Cup: https: // apnews.com/tag/WorldCup[19659025] Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This document may not be published, distributed, rewritten or redistributed.
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