The 2-1 defeat to France sees England exit from the tournament at the quarter-final stage, one round earlier than their efforts in 2018.
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That’s right; there are another four years of hurt to add to the famous song as England crash out of yet another World Cup. The 2-1 defeat to France sees England exit from the tournament at the quarter-final stage, one round earlier than their efforts in 2018. But how do the campaigns compare? Was this a step back for England, or have they made strides since their last campaign? We’ll take a look at how the game unfolded and whether there are any positives that England can take from this game.
England started the brighter of the two teams, pressing France high up the pitch in the first five minutes and unsettling some of the French players. However, it didn’t take long for France to find their stride, and they quickly grew into the game. France had most of the possession in the early stages of the match, and in the 17th minute, Tchouameni fired the ball into the bottom corner from 25 yards to give the French an early lead. However, there was some controversy in the build-up, as Saka was potentially fouled in the build-up to the goal, but VAR ruled against it.
There was further VAR controversy ten minutes later as Harry Kane surged past Upamecano and looked to break into the box before being brought down by the Frenchman. There was certainly a great deal of contact as the two came together, but the referee waved play on. Replays seemed to show that the contact may have been on the line of the penalty area, but VAR disagreed, and England didn’t get the penalty they thought they deserved.
This brought England to life, and they started to control the game for the rest of the second half. Kane’s rifled shot from the edge of the area forced Lloris into a smart save, and a goal-mouth scramble on the six-yard line looked to be a great opportunity for an England player to prod the ball home. However, France were still dangerous on the break, and Mbappe missed a glorious opportunity from 12 yards out. At the end of the first half, France still had their lead, but it was a very evenly contested game.
England again started the brighter of the two, with Bellingham firing a stunning shot that looked destined for the roof of the net before Lloris tipped it over. It wouldn’t take long for England to have their best opportunity in the game, as Saka weaved his way into the box before being taken down by Tchouameni. This time the referee pointed to the spot, and Harry Kane had the chance to equalise. Kane fired the penalty into the top left-hand corner to level the game.
From that point, the game remained very much in the balance, with both sides having great chances to take the lead. Rabiot fired a close-range volley too close to Pickford a few minutes after the penalty, and Harry Maguire nodded a header onto the foot of the post on the 70-minute mark. However, it was France who managed to take the lead once again, as a beautifully whipped-in ball from Griezmann was met by the head of Olivier Giroud, and the deflected header flew past Pickford into the bottom corner.
This England side weren’t done yet though, and they stormed forward in the hope of levelling the scores again. Five minutes after Giroud’s goal, they had another penalty, as Hernandez barged over Mason Mount in the box. Yet again, Harry Kane was the man to shoulder the responsibility against his clubmate Hugo Lloris. Unfortunately for England fans, Kane blazed his penalty over the bar, and France were given a reprieve.
Try as they might in the last ten minutes, England couldn’t find a way through the French defence and the game finished 2-1 to France.
Overall, despite the result, I think this is one of England’s best performances against an elite team in a long time. We have to remember France are reigning world champions and one of the favourites for this year’s tournament, so the fact that England made it such a close game and were arguably the better team for a good portion of the match means that fans can take some solace from this defeat.
What does this mean for the England team going forward? Well, almost all of England’s starting lineup are under 30, which means they have at least one more World Cup cycle in them, and most of the brightest talents are under 25! We’d say England have a very bright future ahead of them, and we’re sure many will be backing them as one of the favourites for the Euros in 2024. The bookies currently have them as third favourites, with Germany as favourites just ahead of France. However, based on the performances of this World Cup, many will be looking to take advantage of the great value to be had by betting on England. Using the best betting offers from online sportsbooks can help make a bet even more appealing, and betting on such a talented England side looks very appealing at the moment.
However, only time will tell whether England can shake off the shackles of the past and finally claim a major trophy or if they’ll always be perennial also-rans.
