World: back to the future for England and Croatia

World: back to the future for England and Croatia
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AFP
/ Yuri CORTEZ

It's been 28 years since she expected this: England qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup. It will face Croatia on Wednesday, which had not been at such a party since 1998.

The "Three Lions" have corrected Sweden (2-0) while the Croats have had more trouble getting rid of the Russia, the host country (2-2 ap; 4 tab to 3)

English and Croatian have a meeting on Wednesday at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow (18:00 GMT). The day before, France and Belgium will compete in St. Petersburg (18:00 GMT).

The other Harry

Everyone was waiting for a goal from Harry Kane, best director of the tournament (6 goals). But it is another Harry, Maguire, defender of Leicester, who opened the score of the head against Sweden, on corner at the half-hour. Then Dele Alli doubled the mark just before the hour.

The "Three Lions" can thank their back lines. Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a great run over Marcus Berg's header early in the second period.

This is good news for Her Majesty's team, sealed in recent years by doomed gatekeepers David Seaman, Scott Carson or David James

Gareth Southgate's alluring England is back with a glorious past when the Terry Butcher team, Chris Waddle, Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne stumbled on the Andreas Brehme RFA, Rudi Völler, Lothar Matthäus and Jürgen Klinsmann in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup (1-1, 4 tab to 3)

"We are not a finished product, we do not have any world-class players yet recognized, but, a young team that is preparing to play at the world level ", qualified the English coach Southgate.

The men of" Captain Kane "will have a small advantage: The Croatians played twice in overtime, in 8th and in the quarterfinals. And their goalkeeper Danijel Subasic gritted his teeth, touched behind a thigh.

The Modric Generation dreamed

They are called Luka Modric (Real Madrid) and Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) and are the new stars of Croatia . They met expectations: guide the team to the checkered flag to the last four of the World Cup.

As had before them Slaven Bilic, Zvonimir Boban and Davor Suker (now president of the federation) at the 1998 World Cup in France.

The adventure ended abruptly on an unexpected doubled of Lilian Thuram (2-1), defender of the Blues, future world champions 1998.

In Sochi, nothing was simple for the Croats. It was necessary to fight against the host country which had begun to believe in its chances. Like the opening of the score on a superb gesture by Denis Cheryshev. But Croatia has "shown character", as Modric pointed out, and nerves, to the end. "We are in the semifinals and we are going to enjoy this game, we have enough time to rest and prepare well for this match," added the Croatian captain.

Russia will not see the second semi-final of his history in World Cup, after that of 1966, with the generation of the mythical Lev Yachine (under shirt of the USSR)

"We are like demobilized conscripts before the hour", regretted the coach of Russia Stanislav Cherchesov

The host nation managed to compete, however, since in 2018, before its tournament began, it had won no match. Ranking 70th in the world, the Sbornaya has even been the head of the 2010 world champion, Spain, in the round of 16.

France, 20 years after 1998?

20 years ago, France, she sang "And one, and two, and three zero", after the final of his World Cup won against Brazil (3-0). What better way to celebrate this anniversary than to sew a second star on the blue jersey?

"We do not say it but everyone thinks we can be world champion," said French defender Lucas Hernandez Saturday ahead

But, as he admits, "we have two games left to be, (with) first against Belgium." It's Tuesday in St. Petersburg and as the Atlético Madrid player said "it'll be very complicated."

Because the French have seen the images of these "Red Devils", led by Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne, who corrected Neymar's Brazil Friday in Kazan (2-1).

It will be a special match between neighboring countries. Raphael Varane, born in Lille and trained in Lens, has knowledge in Belgium. But "on an opposition in the World Cup, there are no friends," insists the defender of Real Madrid to the four Champions League.

08/07/2018 07:06:19 –
Samara (Russia) (AFP) –
© 2018 AFP