2018 World Cup: English hope turns to familiar despair

Devastated players could barely extricate themselves from the peloton in front of their supporters at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow

Gareth Southgate, his entire team and his support team, looked dazed as he watched. They stood 20 meters from the banks of England. the supporters who had invaded Russia fueled by hope and desire to witness the story.

Southgate helped Ashley Young, 33, get up while the young Marcus Rashford and many others shed tears. 19659006] England's players responded to a standing ovation from these supporters, but there was no disguise of pain – or Southgate's determination to remind them of what they accomplished during this World Cup in Russia

. and returned to the seclusion of the locker room, it was to absorb the range of emotions they felt in this wet night in Moscow, to learn the lessons of the past month and use them to draw a better future .

The hope of England turns to familiar despair

England had history in the hands and a World Cup first final since 1966 in their line of sight as the clock pbaded at 22h in Moscow – only to let everything escape and leave this historic city with familiar feelings of

The emerging side of Gareth Southgate was 45 minutes away from the most important match from England in 52 years while the voices of their supporters were rising in a roar in the vast Luzhniki stadium.

Kieran Trippier was an unlikely third name on the list of those who scored for England in a World Cup semifinal, joining Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker with a glorious fifth-minute free kick.

The 1-0 advantage of England does not reflect their superiority Great Britain and Croatia, who looked tired after the victories consecutive shots against Denmark and Russia, have been left behind.

And so, when England thought that old fears could be ignored and new chapters written,

In the stadium that can still echo the memories of the legendary middle distance fights between Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, l & # 39; England stumbled In England, it is Croatia that produced the powerful late push to impose through the goals of Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic, showing an almost inconceivable force given their efforts in World Cup.

continue – and for all the optimism raised by the acts of England in Russia in the last month, there will be a burning sense of opportunity missed that will take a long time to erase .

England can take a lot of fr In recent weeks in Russia, where links have been forged behind the doors of their base in Repino, the Southgate team has won many admirers with their modest approach and down-to-earth

. a brutal question that will haunt England – when will they have a better chance of reaching a World Cup final than the one that has presented here in Russia?

The English fans took the time to join the party. their campaign in Volgograd, Nizhny Novogorod, Kaliningrad, Moscow and then Samara

But the feeling that history was happening brought them to Moscow in force for this semi-final.

Private planes and charter aircraft were hired, the gloriously decorated corridors and giant escalators of the city's famous subway system were suddenly filled with familiar songs and white shirts from England

England is only redoubling the heat.

England was found with a road to the final which she could only have dreamed of after finishing second in Belgium in Group G.

France in the semifinal matched Colombia, Sweden and Croatia, which was not easy but undoubtedly manageable.

England missed that third hurdle with a World Cup final.

Southgate and its players will rightly receive high praise as they have done so much to restore England's reputation and reconnect the public to its football team.

They will however have to reflect on a glorious opportunity to reach a World Cup final that has been wasted

England can return home as heroes

When the inevitable pain occurs soothes, and the belief that England has blown their luck. In this context, there is so much to be removed from Russia.

Southgate looks back on two years during which he took England out of the embarrbadment of Euro 2016 in his first World Cup semifinal in 28 years. 19659006] He has the total respect and loyalty of his team. He has shown a sure edge in his on-and off-field business management and is a young progressive coach.

Southgate leads a group of players whose driving has won so many admirers here that England has made its way to the last four. . They have personality as players and as a team.

The aura around England could not be more different from the stale and disunited air that had accompanied them away from France two years ago

.

Everton goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, has achieved an outstanding tournament, saving a crucial penalty in the win against Colombia and distinguishing himself against Sweden and Croatia.

Kieran Trippier was a revelation as a defender and creator, while the character of Harry Maguire's "man of the people" went hand in hand with a rapid development as a defender of England.

Harry Kane has confirmed his reputation as a high-quality attacker. Stones seems to be developing in the much-awaited clbad act for so long.

And, despite the cruel end, the story was made

England won its opening game at a major tournament for the first time. It was the 2006 World Cup. They won a knockout match for the first time since 2006. They won their first World Cup shootout. They reached the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since Italy 90.

Yes, the conclusion had a familiar connotation – but there were enough, fresh and full of them. hope for the future.

One Last Match

England must now rise to the final of the third match against Belgium in St. Petersburg on Saturday.

This is often the undesirable match of the World Cup and there is every chance As far as England is concerned, this will certainly be used to give opportunities to those who have been so loyal in shadow in Russia. It could be a rehearsal of this under-strength group game that brought a Belgian win.

This could also be the final act in the battle for the Golden Boot between Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku.

From Southgate's Point of View A third place will add to the sense of accomplishment and pride and will at least allow England to leave Russia at the highest level that she will agree to. to have deserved.