ENGLAND WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN 2018 -- SEMI FINALS VS CROATIA

WORLD CUP SEMI FINAL
WEDNESDAY 11th JULY 2018
CROATIA vs ENGLAND
[KICK OFF 7PM (BST)]
-- Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

England are into their first World Cup semi final since Italia 1990 and will face Croatia for a place in Sunday's Final. It was a comfortable win over Sweden 2-0 on Saturday with the clean sheet down to an outstanding performance by Jordan Pickford who kept us in the game in the second half before Deli Alli secured the win on the hour mark. They will face a quality Croatian side who survived a late equaliser against the host nation Russia to go through on penalties.

England and Croatia have met seven times before, with the Three Lions winning four times, losing twice and sharing a draw. The two nations drew their opening encounter 0-0 in 1996 before England won the next friendly 3-1 in 2003.

England then won their first competitive clash, a 4-2 victory at Euro 2004 in which Wayne Rooney scored two goals. But Croatia got their own back over the Euro 2008 qualifiers, beating England 2-0 in Zagreb - with Paul Robinson's infamous air kick a sore spot for England fans way back in October 2006. Worse was to come as Croatia beat the Three Lions 3-2 at Wembley in November 2007 to ensure that England would not qualify for Euro 2008.

England gained some revenge as they crushed Croatia in their next two games, winning World Cup 2010 qualifying games in September 2008 (4-1) and September 2009 (5-1). The nation is ready, the stakes are high, it's time to believe and get behind the boys and bring it home.

Starting XI's confirmed;

CROATIA 
Subasic (GK),  Vrsaljko,  Lovren,  Vida,  Strinic,  Modric (capt),  Rakitic,  Rebic,  Brozovic,  Perisic,  Mandzukic,  

Subs -- Livakovic (Gk),  L Kalinic (Gk),  Corluka,  Kovacic,  Kramaric,  Jedvaj,  Bradaric,  Caleta-Car,  Badelj,  Pjaca,  Pivaric

ENGLAND

Pickford (Gk), Maguire, Stones, Walker, Henderson, Trippier, Lingard, Alli, Young, Sterling, Kane (capt)

Subs -- Butland (Gk),  Pope (Gk),  Dier,  Alexander-Arnold,  Loftus-Cheek,  Rose,  Vardy,  Cahill,  Jones,  Welbeck,  Delph,  Rashford

Referee -- CÜNEYT ÇAKIR (TUR).

Our referee for this crucial World Cup Semi Final is Mr Cakir from Istanbul, Turkey, very experienced official for someone only 41 and has had to deal with the Galatasaray vs Fenerbahce derbies so this should be a breeze by comparison. 

HT Score -- 0 - 1  (Trippier 5').

FT Result -- 1 - 1  (Perisic 68')   (Trippier 5').
Extra Time Being Played

Comment -- It's Coming Home. I got a good feeling. A feeling that takes us higher and higher on only FIVE minutes a thumping free kicking into the top corner by Kieran Trippier and England lead 1-0. Cracking game and England causing plenty of problems for the Croatian defence and set pieces look like giving us more chances to extend the lead. Pickford only being bothered by long range efforts so far but we've survived the opening half hour. 

A nervous second half, with Croatia coming more and more into the game. Inevitably they equalise on 68 mins when Ivan Perisic gets ahead of Kyle Walker and turns the ball in for 1-1. It's been coming and England need to calm their nerves for the last 20 mins of this match with extra time and penalties looming again. FT 1-1 into another 30 mins we go, the third game in succession for the Croatians, at least we don't fear the penalties now should it come to that. 

2nd half of extra time and England are behind, Mario Mandzukic scores to make it 2-1 and there's not long left ... it's starting to hurt again. :(