Gareth Southgate’s side are into the semi-finals of the World Cup after dismantling Sweden 2-0 in the England vs Sweden clash[spacer height=”30px”]
Goals from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli gave the Three Lions the win they craved and a shot at footballing immortality.[spacer height=”30px”]
As temperatures soared in Samara ahead of kick off, neither team was really bringing the heat early on.[spacer height=”30px”]
This was the scene in Southend High Street this afternoon following England's win against Sweden in the World Cup!
Video by Millie Barton. pic.twitter.com/4txrrT5EWC
— Your Southend (@YourSouthend) July 7, 2018
[spacer height=”30px”]The opening exchanges were littered with misplaced passes and dead-end runs from England, and it was actually the Scandinavians who had the first opportunity of the game. A loose ball on the edge of the area found Albin Ekdal in acres of space, but the shoot was well over the bar.[spacer height=”30px”]
Gareth Southgate’s side were extremely nervy and looked weighed down by the building expectations back home. Their play was ponderous and lacking the edge that had been in evidence earlier in the tournament.[spacer height=”30px”]
But as soon as they did show some invention, a chance came. Raheem Sterling pounced on a mistake in the middle and burst forward into space. The Manchester City man left the ball for Harry Kane to strike, but the World Cup’s leading marksman couldn’t find the target.[spacer height=”30px”]
And it was in fact one of the defenders who finally broke the game open. A corner from Ashley Young on the left found Maguire, and the Leicester man rose highest to head in the opening goal.[spacer height=”30px”]
A goal down and with their World Cup at stake, Swedes had to find an equaliser. Sterling and Dele Alli looked the most dangerous, but a mixture of poor finishing and the offside trap meant that they went into the break with the narrowest of margins.[spacer height=”30px”]
The second 45 saw Andersson’s side fly out of the blocks and get their first effort on target within moments. A cross from the left found Berg, but his header was expertly saved by Pickford.[spacer height=”30px”]
"We're there because of a collective effort"
Gareth Southgate spoke to us after @England's victory over Sweden and aimed specific praise to some of the team's squad players. pic.twitter.com/FipAJLKi6e
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 8, 2018
[spacer height=”30px”]But on the hour mark, Sweden would pay for that missed chance. A first time cross from Lingard from the right-hand side found Alli at the back post, and the Tottenham midfielder had the most simple of headers to double their lead.[spacer height=”30px”]
This game wasn’t over though, and almost immediately the Blågult forced Pickford into another stunning save – this time down low to his right from a close-range Berg shot.[spacer height=”30px”]
And the Everton goalkeeper completed his hat-trick of world class stops just moments later when Berg, again, found some space and saw his shot tipped over the bar.[spacer height=”30px”]
Harry Maguire and Dele Alli scored as England comfortably defeated Sweden 2-0 in Samara to reach the FIFA #WorldCup semi-finals for the first time since 1990. pic.twitter.com/adoLcqsRBo
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) July 8, 2018
[spacer height=”30px”]Man of the match: Harry Maguire (England)[spacer height=”30px”]
A sensational performance from England’s defensive rock. Almost two years to the day since sitting in the stands to cheer on the national team as a fan, the Leicester man was exceptional and opened his international account.[spacer height=”30px”]
What happens next?[spacer height=”30px”]
England’s first World Cup semi-final since Italia ’90 will be against Croatia in Moscow, on Wednesday[spacer height=”30px”]
