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- England won its first shootout victory in the competition
- Southgate hopes the result will inspire future England players
- Its own "penalty shootout demons" will still be with him
By Laure James with England
The players of Gareth Southgate have debunked one of the oldest myths: England can not win a shooting of the FIFA World Cup ™. Broken and exhausted, but exalted, they celebrated emotionally with the fans on the Spartak Stadium field. They had just booked their place in the quarterfinals after the penalty kick, which had haunted so much English in front of them.
This was not in the plan. Southgate had asked its players to take care of business within 90 minutes, but after Yerry Mina's late equalization, doubt has crept in. Many supporters then told social networks, "We all know how it ends." England was changing the course of history.
So, was it beneficial to have sacrificed lead and broken the legendary curse of penalties?
"I think of the belief of this group of players and groups ahead, it was a really important moment," said Southgate. "Not just winning the shootout, but having to suffer at the end of the match in a stadium where our fans were outnumbered five to one.The fans were great, but just because of the numbers, it was like was far away.We talked to the players about writing their own stories.This was a classic tonight.They do not have to comply with what happened before, so it's a good idea. was a good night for all members of the team. "
The shooting itself was a pure drama. Kieran Trippier, who had another strong performance, kept his cool to convert where Jordan Henderson had been, moments earlier, refused. The kick of Eric Dier, after a race in tip, allowed David Ospina to seal the victory. Jordan Pickford will be a name for fans of England to remember for generations to come. His acrobatic rescue to stop Mateus Uribe's attempt was hailed by Southgate.
"It was a first class rescue," said the coach. "His athleticism around the goal is excellent, he executed the plan in the penalty shootout, we had studied all their takers, and a great credit to all the staff and to him for taking this information and getting it. prepare in the right way. "
Southgate's own demons, however, live long in memory. He missed a penalty against Germany at UEFA EURO 1996, and the nightmare resurfaced after Britain qualified for Group G this time. England can change a habit, but the story can never be rewritten.
"Well, that will never leave me, unfortunately," he admits. "It's something that will live with me forever, but today is a special moment for this team, which will give luck to the generations of players who will follow."
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