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SAMARA, Russia (AP) – So often a source of disappointment and embarrassment, the English football team is a unifying force among the players and the nation.
At least in some sections of the country divided by economic, political and social divisions that led to Brexit, reaching the semifinals of the World Cup, are 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 Russia or 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 British coach Gareth Southgate. "It's 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 work to be done for England to reach its first World Cup final since the trophy was lifted at Wembley in 1966.
But Southgate believes that he instilled the humble mentality in the locker room necessary to continue the trip until the 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 back at how Harry Maguire, who led Saturday's first goal, reported for England the first time duty last year with his clothes in a black trash bag rather than 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 have not yet world-famous players," says Southgate, "but many good young players who show on the world stage that they are ready to be brave with the ball, to 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 achieved 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 appeared 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 experiencing misery at the 2016 Euro as players – or as a fan in the stadium as Maguire – pushed England ahead of Harry Kane relatively serenely in his first semifinal of the World Cup since 1990, according to Southgate.
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 England team to reach a semifinal, at the 1996 European Championship, when the anthem of the team was "Three Lions". The words "return of football" are once again in vogue in Russia, passing from stadiums to bars among the few thousand fans who have challenged the logistical challenges to follow the team.
"We have a good balance and the team is united" Andrew Court, 53, told the outside Samara Stadium where Maguire and Dele Alli scored goals against Sweden. 19659002] Southgate, however, looks beyond the concept "The return of football."
A studious approach, the platform gained from his finest day in football was used to deliver several powerful messages on Saturday. Southgate wants more English playing alongside Premier League imports.
"The most notable thing is that we are in a semifinal," said Southgate. "We only have 33% of the league to choose from, which remains a huge problem for us, and we are playing young players who are barely established in their clubs, let alone international careers. "
I've got it! impression that they are able to play as we want, to play a great pride, to play without any lack of quality, to show the kind of mentality to work for the group, "he said.
Southgate emphasizes, reflects the diversity of England and cuts the economic divide in England where so much wealth is centered in the south.
Southgate singled out the less affluent northern cities where players like Maguire came from.
"These players come from different parts of the country," said Southgate, "and they will be young people who look at home from the regions they come in. They will be inspiring."
___ [19659002] Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports
___
More coverage of the AP World Cup: https: // apnews.com/tag/WorldCup[19659026]
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