Looks like it’s not coming home after all.
Disconsolate England players Jamie Vardy (L) and Dele Alli (Photo: AFP)
After weeks of believing it’s coming home, England suffered extra-time heartbreak in the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-final against Croatia, with the Vatreni edging them 2-1 thanks to a 109th-minute strike from Mario Mandzukic and Three Lions payers have taken to Instagram to express their disappointment.
Skipper Harry Kane, still the top scorer at the World Cup with six goals to his name, went missing on the night and he posted this:
Advertisement
Brave words from the Tottenham Hotspur striker, but then again, Gareth Southgate’s squad weren’t expected to go very far in Russia.
And, despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad, they did reach the semi-finals and can still finish third if they beat Belgium on Saturday.
DON’T MISS | Watch: Manchester United players report for pre-season training
Marcus Rashford came on in the closing stages of regulation time, but the young forward couldn’t quite have the desired impact and his immediate reaction to the loss said a lot despite there being no words in the caption:
When the Manchester United forward recovered somewhat , he did post again:
Forward Jamie Vardy, another late substitute on the night, was understandably devastated as he penned:
Midfielder Jesse Lingard was proud in defeat:
Centre-back Harry Maguire, who has been one of the revelations of the tournament, posted this:
Teenaged fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold, an unused substitute against Croatia, expressed:
Despite taking the lead via Kieran Trippier’s 5th-minute free-kick, England couldn’t hold on and conceded in the second-half through contentious circumstances.
MUST READ | England vs Croatia: Gritty Vatreni end Three Lions’ dream run in extra time
However, Croatia were the better side over the course of 120 minutes and had it not been for some sensational saves from Jordan Pickford, Southgate’s men would have lost the game long before extra time.
Advertisement
