Finally, at 11.52pm local time, the last kick of an epic night. Eric Dier, England’s fifth penalty-taker was setting off on his victory run, soon to be submerged by his teammates. Gareth Southgate had forgotten, yet again, he was supposed to be nursing a dislocated shoulder and here was the hard proof that England, contrary to the impression they might have given for much of the previous 30 years, did know how to win a penalty shootout, after all.
It was a euphoric and nerve-shredding finale and these are the moments, surely, when England’s followers could be forgiven for daring to dream that something special is building, something exhilarating and rare. Yes, it would be dangerous to get too carried away but right here, right now, to hell with anyone who insists it is time for restraint. England have arrived in the quarter-finals and the World Cup is suddenly filled with all sorts of new possibilities.
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2tTO9t0
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