World Cup semi-final | Croatia defeats England 2-1

CROATIAN stars hit out at England after their World Cup clash, sledging the Poms for lacking respect in a savage call-out.

• Croatia’s stinging English sledge

Live: England vs. Croatia

England has been defeated 2-1 by Croatia in the World Cup ’s second semi final.

CROATIA has sunk England’s World Cup dream in a thrilling extra time clash to take the World Cup’s second semi-final in Moscow.

The rampaging wildcards conceded a goal in the first five minutes and went scoreless until Ivan Perisic found the net in the 68th minute via a cross from Šime Vrsaljko.

The equaliser appeared to dash England’s fiery streak as they began to make sloppy errors in defence and attack. Prolific striker Harry Kane, who butchered a shot on goal after a free kick late in the piece, was far from his best in the crucial clash which saw Croatia through to its first World Cup final.

8.30am

Modric takes aim at English disrespect

Marcus Rashford symbolised how an entire country felt.

Mario Mandzukic scored the winning goal deep in extra time as Croatia beat England 2-1 in an utterly gripping World Cup semi-final in Moscow to set up a final date with France, before Luka Modric took aim at the disrespect shown to his side.

Mandzukic netted in the 109th minute to complete a remarkable comeback from a shattered Croatian team and take the small nation of little more than four million people into the World Cup final for the first time in its short history.

So much of the hype before the game centred on whether England would continue its golden run that saw it make the semi-finals of a World Cup for the first time since 1990, but Modric accused pundits and the media of disrespecting Croatia by crowing about the chances of Gareth Southgate’s men.

“People were talking … English journalists, pundits from television,” Modric told ITV. “They underestimated Croatia tonight and that was a huge mistake.

“All these words from them we take, we were reading and we were saying, ‘OK, today we will see who will be tired.’ They should be more humble and respect their opponents more.

“We showed again that we were not tired — we dominated the game mentally and physically. We should have killed the game even before extra time.

“This is an amazing achievement for us — it’s a dream come true after such a long time. We are in the final and that is the biggest success in Croatia history. We have to be proud.”

Sime Vrsaljko also had a dig at football fans who were raving about a renewed England side full of fresh faces which was different to the teams of years gone by who crumbled under the weight of expectation.

“The all-round perception was that this is a new-look England who have changed their ways of punting long balls upfield but when we pressed them it turned out that they haven’t,” he said.

Luka Modric was the architect fo Croatia’s success.

Kieran Trippier’s magnificent early free-kick had seemingly set England on course to reach its first final since it lifted the trophy on home soil back in 1966.

But it wasn’t to be, as Croatia came roaring back in the second half and equalised through Ivan Perisic before somehow finding the energy to win despite being taken to extra time for the third time in 10 days.

A VAR controversy erupted upon the first half bell as Croatia argued for a penalty after

Dejan Lovren went down in the box. A photo of Englishman Harry Maguire pulling on the Croatian star suggested it was worth a penalty.

Croatia wanted a penalty after Lovren went down in the box. #WorldCup #CROENG pic.twitter.com/U89vH7zYcE

— SBS - The World Game (@TheWorldGame) July 11, 2018

Former Aussie goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said Croatia was unlucky to snag a shot in front even after the VAR deemed England clean of wrongdoing.

“I think they’re very, very unlucky,” Schwarzer said.

“I think that’s a penalty. That’s a penalty. It has to be a penalty. It makes a mockery of the VAR system.”

Busted.

The biggest winner of the night could well be France, who has had an extra day’s rest for Sunday’s final after edging out Belgium 1-0 in the other semi-final.

That will not matter too much right now for Croatia, who is the smallest nation to make it to the final since Uruguay back in 1950.

England had been the one hoping to make history, in what was its first appearance in the semi-finals in 28 years. Then it was beaten on penalties by West Germany. Having ended its famous penalty curse by beating Colombia in a shootout in the last 16, it might have fancied repeating here.

But Croatia, having won on penalties against Denmark and Russia in the last two rounds, saw the game out, dousing the World Cup dream of Gareth Southgate’s side that had gone from the improbable to the possible over the last month in Russia.

It’s not coming home.

Southgate stuck with the same starting line-up as that which eased past Sweden in the quarter-finals, while Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic replaced Andrej Kramaric in the Croatian line-up.

Croatia was looking to the inspirational Luka Modric to control the game, but instead it was he who gave away the early free-kick from which Trippier put England ahead.

It was a fantastic curling effort from 25 yards from the Tottenham Hotspur fullback, and England’s first goal direct from a free-kick at the World Cup since David Beckham against Ecuador in 2006.

England could not have imagined a better start.

Croatia was stunned, and Ivan Rakitic, usually so accomplished, was especially off his game. Zlatko Dalic’s side did gradually grow into the contest, but it could still be relieved to go in at halftime only one goal down, especially as Harry Kane was denied by a combination of goalkeeper Danijel Subasic and the woodwork on the half-hour mark.

Croatia hung on and it was to its immense credit that it turned the tide after the break in what developed into an epic encounter.

Shooting towards the end of the Luzhniki Stadium where most of their fans were gathered, Croatia equalised in the 68th minute, as Sime Vrsaljko crossed from the right and Perisic stole in front of the stooping Kyle Walker to score with his left foot.

Having looked so comfortable earlier, England’s young side was rattled, and it was lucky not to go behind soon after as Perisic sent a low shot across Jordan Pickford and off the far post.

Unable to get the second goal while it was on top, Croatia was forced into extra time again.

Vrsaljko cleared a John Stones header away from in front of the line, but England had Pickford to thank for a brilliant save as Mandzukic connected with a devilish Perisic cross.

It was a wonder the Juventus forward did not break a limb as Pickford crunched into him.

He managed to carry on after treatment, and he was on hand to sweep the ball low past Pickford after Perisic’s header back into the area caught the England defence on the hop to finally decide a brilliant contest.

Croatia made history by reaching the final for the first time.

— AFP

4am

London flooded by fans

By 5.45pm local time bars along the River Thames and in London Bridge

were already full. Fans in England shirts, some face painted and others with the flag draped over their shoulders had were a common sight. “I took the afternoon off [so] I would get a good spot. My boss didn’t care, this should be national holiday.” William Harris, 29, told news.com.au. There were die hard fans and then there were the hangers on — not that anyone cared.

“I used to watch it with my Dad,” Tom, 33, said. “I’m not sporting or at all interested — but I felt it’s something I should be watching.”

He isn’t alone. Viewing figures on television are estimated to be in the tens of millions, the quarterfinal pulled a massive 19.6m, and parties are being held across Britain.

A bar manager at one popular London Bridge pub stopped taking food orders almost 45 minutes before the game to the upstairs area of the bar because staff couldn’t deliver it to customers. The most popular “Southgate number one, you still turn me on football is coming home again”

England fans in Hyde Park waste about $10,000 in beer on team’s first goal against Croatia pic.twitter.com/lfCxGZfqNW

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 11, 2018

— Andrew Koubaridis in London