Croatia hero Mario Mandzusic have made it to World Cup final after 109 minute battle with England and it was a determine game for the Croatians players who has never giving-up with their fighting spirit since the beginning of their game and this is the first time in their history to reach Word Cup Final. Kieran Trippier curled in a magnificent free-kick to give England a fifth minute lead in Wednesday's semi-final, Ivan Perisic put Croatia level in the 68th minute after getting his foot on the end of a Sime Vrsaljko cross. The goalscorer struck the foot of the post three minutes later as England began to wobble under pressure, John Stones almost headed England back in front in extra-time but Sime Vrsaljko cleared it off the line. Mario Mandzukic fired the Croatians ahead after half-time with a quick reaction to Perisic's instinctive header.
One lapse. That is all it takes in this rarest of atmospheres. Kieran Trippier lost his header to Ivan Perisic, Mario Mandzukic ran off John Stones, and England were out of the World Cup.
It took Croatia 109 minutes of football to take the lead against England, but they edged it in the end. They were the better team in the second-half, they hit the post, Jordan Pickford made one magnificent save.
But let’s get one thing straight. England were not lucky to be here. They were not fortunate beneficiaries of a soft draw, or undeserving contenders for the 2018 World Cup. They were, in many ways, the best team here. Not in football terms, or technical terms. No-one is claiming them the match for France, or even Croatia, the finalists. But as a team, a band of brothers, a group of players amounting to more than the sum of their parts, England were outstanding.
England's players look dejected after the final whistle blows to confirm their World Cup exit at the semi-final stage
The England players gathered in the centre-circle after the game as they come to terms with the defeat by Croatia
Gareth Southgate consoles Harry Maguire after England crashed out of the World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium
The England boss puts his arm around England captain Harry Kane as they thank the fans for their support out in Russia
The Croatian players celebrate at the end of the game after reaching their first ever World Cup final against France
Mario Mandzukic celebrates after putting Croatia in front for the first time with just 11 minutes remaining in Moscow
The Croatian striker reacted quickest to Ivan Perisic's instinctive header to beat John Stones to the ball and fire home
The Croatian players rush to congratulate the match-winner Mandzukic as they head to their first ever World Cup final
Ivan Perisic drifts in front of Kyle Walker and gets his foot ahead of the England defender's head to divert a cross into the net
The Inter Milan winger celebrates after equalising for Croatia in the 68th minute of their World Cup semi-final clash
Kieran Trippier roars in celebration after giving England a fifth minute lead against Croatia with a stunning free-kick
Kieran Trippier swings his free-kick over the jumping Croatian wall and beyond the despairing dive of Danijel Subasic
Kieran Trippier is mobbed by his jubilant team-mates after giving England the early advantage against the Croatians
Defender Kyle Walker jumps up on top of his England team-mates as they pile on the goalscorer, Kieran Trippier
There is no shame here, no failure. England did as well as could possibly be expected given their youth, inexperience and the absence of a playmaker in the class of Luka Modric.
Gareth Southgate, the manager, has done an exceptional job and the national team should be his to mould for another four years at least. He deserves that, and so do they, his loyal lieutenants.
Anyone who thinks England just got lucky, doesn’t know football. This game was the proof of it. They battled Croatia to a standstill, both teams exhausted, all energy and emotion spent.
They could not have given more, either of them and that a single goal separated them is fitting. Better that than to lose of penalties and see that hoodoo return. That is another curse that has been lifted at this World Cup.
Credit Croatia, too. This was a spirited performance after two knockout games that have reached penalties. When England took the lead after five minutes, and dominated the opening 30, it would have been easy to be overwhelmed.
Instead, they found a way back into the game, through Modric and man of the match Perisic, outstanding technical talents that point the way forward for Southgate and his men. But they know that, having come so close. They know there is a missing link, and the next step is finding it. Easier said than done.
MATCH FACTS
Croatia: Subasic, Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Strinic (Pivaric 95), Rakitic, Brozovic, Rebic (Kramaric 101), Modric (Badelj 119), Perisic, Mandzukic (Corluka 116)
Subs not used: Livakovic, Kovacic, Jedvaj, Bradaric, Caleta-Car, Pjaca, Lovren, Kalinic
Goalscorers: Perisic 68, Mandzukic 109
Booked: Mandzukic, Rebic
England: Pickford, Walker (Vardy 112), Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Alli, Henderson (Dier 97), Lingard, Young (Rose 90), Sterling (Rashford 74), Kane
Subs not used: Butland, Welbeck, Cahill, Jones, Delph, Loftus-Cheek, Alexander-Arnold, Pope
Goalscorers: Trippier 5
Booked: Walker
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli falls down under the challenge from Modric leading to the free-kick for the opening goal
Perisic, Mandzukic and Dejan Lovren leap high but cannot block the free-kick as it bends towards their goal in the early stages
Croatia's Subasic is left stranded as Trippier's free-kick beats his dive and nestles into the net on Wednesday evening
Captain Kane and the goalscorer cannot contain their delight after the Three Lions took an early lead in Moscow
Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford punches the air in celebration after England's early strike at the Luzhniki Stadium against Croatia
England forward Raheem Sterling looks to break forward early in the game but is denied by Croatia's Domagoj Vida
England defender Maguire leaps ahead of Croatia centre-back Vida but cannot direct his header from a corner goalwards
England were long gone by then. Back to the dressing room for the standard round of what might have been. The conclusion is always the same, though.
One lapse. That is all it takes in this rarest of atmospheres. One moment when concentration is lost, one time when danger isn't sighted.
For the winner, Kieran Trippier lost his header to Perisic, Mario Mandzukic ran off John Stones, and England were out of the World Cup.
Yet England were, in many ways, the best team here. Not in football terms, or technical terms. No one is claiming England are better than France, or Croatia, the finalists, even Belgium or Brazil. The result does not lie.
But as a team, a band of brothers, a group of players amounting to more than the sum of their parts, England were outstanding. So there is no shame here, no failure. England did as well as could possibly be expected given their youth, inexperience and the absence of a marquee midfielder like Modric.
Southgate has done an exceptional job and the national team should be his to mould for another four years at least. He deserves that, and so does this team, loyal to a fault.
Anyone who thinks England were simply fortunate doesn't know football. This game was the proof of it. The teams battled to a standstill, both exhausted, all energy and emotion spent. They could not have given more, either of them and that a single goal separated them was fitting.
Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic looks to get his foot on the ball early in the game as Stones tries to put pressure on him
England midfielder Jordan Henderson gets his foot on the ball as Croatia captain Modric watches his midfield counterpart
England goalkeeper Pickford leaps high and catches the ball in his gloves ahead of the efforts of Croatia forward Perisic
England captain Kane clutches his chest after being brought down in the centre circle while attempting to launch a counter
Kane then went on to miss a glaring one-on-one opportunity, hitting his effort too close to Croatia goalkeeper Subasic
The England skipper was eventually flagged offside but not before he fired his rebound effort against the foot of the post
Modric remonstrates with referee Cuneyt Cakir as another decision goes against Croatia in the first-half in Moscow
Ashley Young performs a last-ditch block as Croatian winger Ante Rebic looked to get on the end of a low cross
Better that than to lose on penalties and see that hoodoo return. That is one curse that has been lifted at this World Cup and good riddance.
Credit Croatia, too. This was a spirited performance after two knockout games that have reached penalties. When England took the lead after five minutes, and dominated the opening 30, it would have been easy to give in to fatigue.
Instead, they found a way back into the game through the players England are missing. The ones who can take a game in a different direction and render the most tenacious opponents powerless.
Croatia were always going to be the strongest test England had faced in this competition to here, and so it proved. If England had the upper hand for the bulk of the first half, the second — in its entirety — belonged to Croatia. This was the side England — the country, more than the team — feared.
Controlling the ball in midfield, they made England look ragged on occasion for the first time in the competition. In a seven-minute spell, the impetus changed. Poor Kyle Walker was struck a devastating blow in the crotch from a shot by Perisic, collapsed, and when the ball did not go out of play, got up to clear the recycled cross. Then he fell again. It was a heroic moment.
Whether it played a part in what happened next, however, is hard to say.
Jesse Lingard had the chance to double England's advantage but he could only curl a tame effort wide of the Croatian goal
England striker Kane is sent tumbling into the advertising hoardings after being on the end of a strong challenge
Croatia winger Perisic grapples with England defender Walker and tries to get the ball off him to restart play in Moscow
Sterling goes to ground inside the box as he tries to find a way through for England, despite Croatia defending in numbers
The referee calls for medical attention to be given to Walker after the ball struck him in the midriff from a fierce shot at goal
Three minutes later, Sime Vrsaljko hit a superb deep cross from the right and Perisic drifted off Trippier and attacked the ball. Walker went for a diving headed clearance but Perisic nipped in first and met it with a volleyed flick past Jordan Pickford.
A high boot? Possibly, but Walker was stooping, so it was a judgment call. Referee Cuneyt Cakir went with the scorer. To be fair, England would have moaned like hell had he disallowed one of theirs like that.
The pressure was now unrelenting. Perisic capitalised on the growing uncertainty in England's back line and hit the far post with a shot. This was as rattled as England had looked all tournament. Pickford came for a high ball, didn't get it, and Perisic shot over with the goal unguarded.
And yet there were moments throughout when England's strengths gave them a puncher's chance. Substitute Marcus Rashford won a free-kick, which Trippier curled in only for Harry Kane to steer a free header wide. Of all of England's players, the right back from Bury truly could have done no more.
It is a very select group, those who have scored for England direct from free-kicks. Even more exclusive, the little club that have done it at a World Cup. It's David Beckham, actually. Just him. One against Colombia, another more recently against Ecuador in 2006. Still if he does ever decide to form a society at least he'll have company at their annual ball. He'll have Trippier after Wednesday night.
Just five minutes gone. What a start it was for England. There can be little doubt now that we are watching the best deliverer of a dead ball this country has had since Beckham. We've already seen his first-time crosses, his vicious, perfectly flighted corners, but he has never scored a free-kick for England. No time like the present then. No time like a World Cup semi-final.
Minutes later Perisic got ahead of Walker and his acrobatic effort was too quick for Pickford, nestling into the back of the net
The Croatian players celebrate in front of their jubilant supporters after equalising against England in the 68th minute
Walker, Stones and Pickford can only watch as Perisic's effort hits the foot of the post for Croatia minutes after the equaliser
Southgate marshalls his troops as England's World Cup semi-final against Croatia heads in to extra-time on Wednesday
Stones rises highest to direct a free header towards goal but his effort was agonisingly cleared off the line by Croatia
Croatia right-back Sime Vrsaljko is back on the line to head Stones' effort away from goal and keep the semi-final level
Pickford rushes off his line to deny Mandzukic as Croatia search for a winner in the first-half of extra-time on Wednesday
The Juventus striker would go on to have the last laugh as he fired Croatia into their first ever World Cup final against France
Zagreb erupts as Croatia makes it to the World Cup final
Ivan Rakitic and Dele Alli clash in the closing stages of the game as tempers boil over with a World Cup final place at stake
The two captains Luka Modric and Harry Kane exchange a handshake ahead of kick-off at the Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday
Dele Alli was fouled by Modric just outside the penalty area D. A trio of England players stood around the ball deliberating but it was always Trippier's range. He did not disappoint.
The whole Croatia wall jumped but somehow the Tottenham man got it up, over and down to leave Danijel Subasic grasping at thin air in Croatia's goal. The ball passed over Dejan Lovren's head on route. Not small, Lovren. It was a quite exquisite free-kick.
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