England have banished history and finally won a World Cup penalty shootout. They defeated Colombia 4-3 from the spot, Jordan Pickford and Eric Dier proving the Three Lions’ heroes.
Colombia 1-1 England (England win 3-4 on penalties) — Round of 16 (Kane 57′, Mina 90+3′)
England have won their first World Cup knockout match since 2006 after defeating Colombia in their round of 16 clash. But perhaps more importantly, they have emphatically thrown the monkey off their back when it comes to the nation’s dreaded penalty shootout record.
After 120 minutes couldn’t separate the two sides, with the score locked at 1-1, the match moved onto spot-kicks, with England’s players facing a wall of noise from Colombia’s boisterous fans.
Jordan Pickford proved the hero, throwing up a huge palm to bat away Carlos Bacca’s penalty, before Eric Dier stepped up and converted the decisive kick to send England through to the quarterfinals. It could have been completely different, with captain Jordan Henderson missing England’s third spot-kick, but Mateus Uribe saw his effort cannon back off the crossbar, before Pickford and Dier did the rest.
England do it the hard way
England controlled most of the 90 minutes against Colombia, starting the game at a frantic pace. Their passing was slick, their movement dynamic, and Colombia were forced to play dirty in order to keep a hold on the match. However, the Three Lions still struggled to fashion meaningful chances from open play.
Just before the hour mark, England got the breakthrough they largely deserved. Carlos Sanchez, who was sent off in Colombia’s opener against Japan, inexplicably grappled Harry Kane to the floor as a corner was whipped in, and US referee Mark Geiger was left with no choice but to award a penalty. Kane stepped up, dusted himself off, and finished with aplomb.
But England never give their fans an easy ride and duly conceded a late equalizer after withdrawing into a defensive shell. Pickford pulled off a magical save from Uribe in injury-time, but from the ensuing corner the towering Yerry Mina smashed his header past helpless defender Kieran Trippier.
Nail-biting finish
Extra-time was a topsy-turvy affair, with Colombia dominating the first period and England coming out stronger in the second half. But both teams looked ragged and worn out, with a winning goal never on the horizon. Penalties it was.
England coach Gareth Southgate knows the pain of losing on penalties with the national team. He missed the decisive spot-kick in the Euro 1996 semifinal against Germany. In fact, England are well known for their inability to overcome the dreaded shootout, failing in World Cups in 1990, 1998, and 2006 – the worst record of any other country.
But thanks largely to Jordan Pickford, as well as Eric Dier, the curse has been lifted and England now stroll through to a quarterfinal showdown with unfancied Sweden.
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