FIFA World Cup: England breaks its curse

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In a stadium named after the legendary slave who defied an empire, a football empire supposed to collapse defied all predictions. England, chipped by everyone before this year's World Cup, has just moved on to the quarterfinals – and she has done so by probably reducing a whole nation to nerve wrecks.

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Believe it. The English football team has just won a penalty shootout this morning to win a knockout match in a major tournament, breaking a curse as long as the format in football.

Not only that, but they made it completely return the script at the last minute. Everything has been set up for them to blow it up as they have done in the past, after taking advantage thanks to an almost inevitable penalty in the 57th minute by skipper Harry Kane.

Back and defend, because Colombia had absolutely nothing shown, otherwise a propensity to hack English players and argue with the referee.

Come back to see how it all went with Jamie Wall's live blog here.

Colombia seemed literally paralyzed by the loss of playmaker James Rodriguez, but it suddenly burst into stoppage time when giant Yerry Mina climbed

Eric Dier would probably have been vilified by an avid public and allegedly lobbied after missing a head shot while the extra time expired, not least because his family name was easily punishable. But he and goaltender Jordan Pickford have ensured that the headlines are not disastrous, with a last-minute and last-minute backup penalty to seal the case and ban the kicking punt in the history pages.

Celebrations in the old country and the pubs around Aotearoa. Although we like to give grief to English migrant workers for times when their teams are crushed when they venture here, it's hard not to smile at their success.

It's about as close as New Zealand For a successful men's football team at a World Cup, we can also go around the tails of the island at home. Another end of the world that takes 20% of our flag. Moreover, if they make a semifinal it is an excuse to go to the pub on a Wednesday morning next week before work.

The scenes where England won the penalty shootout, the best fans in the world. pic.twitter.com/IAQiGUnfbk

– Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) July 3, 2018

But keep a thought for Colombians, not least because on social media, many people who should know better did not even know how to spell the name of their country.

While they cynically beat their way through 120 minutes of football and showed absolutely nothing of the class that made them cherish tournament four years earlier, their world's legacy the Cup is a lot darker than a mere series of missed shots.

Fans are animated in Leicester where Steve Smith saw England impose against Columbia on penalties. @StephenSmithBBC | #ENGCOL | #WorldCup | #newsnight pic.twitter.com/AyJBf5lBFg

– BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) July 3, 2018

Not many casual football fans talk a lot about Colombian football without mentioning Andrés Escobar before long. The defender was shot after returning from the 1994 World Cup by Medellin cartel goons, after scoring his own goal that eliminated the tournament team.

It would have been an incredibly positive result even to win a World Cup, which would create a new legacy for the crazy football country.

But now, as if it was not already obvious, the weight of a nation is now firmly on the British. They like to say that football is coming home, as if the World Cup only started in 1966, when 97,000 people crammed into Wembley to see them lift the trophy for the sole time. their history

. so you might as well enjoy the pleasure – while it lasts.

Listen to Squeaky Bum Time: A podcast of the FIFA World Cup