ENGLAND’S World Cup dreams were trashed last night by a high Croatian boot – where was Var when they needed it – and a sickeningly late second goal from a team that they should have been good enough to beat. They will never get a better chance to reach another World Cup final.
For the second night in a row the side with the better players lost to the better team. England’s early goal – and what a peach it was too – was probably the worst thing that happened to them. They seemed comfortable in defending the 1-0 lead and looked like they would see out the 90 minutes. But rather out of the blue a cross was delivered from the right and a high Croatian boot beat the English head to ball and they were level.
England couldn’t find a forward gear at all and Harry Kane was particularly poor leading the line – he also missed an sitter in the first half that would have given them a 2-0 lead and effectively won the game.
I watched the game in a bar in Anglet in the Basque Country in South-West France – the night before we enjoyed the wild scenes a few miles away in the centre of Bayonne as France reached the final with their hard fought win over a disappointing Belgium side who didn’t;t really turn up for their semi-final chance at glory.
The French was ecstatic – horns on bikes, buses and bin lorries blazing, young guys on top of to bus shelters conducting the party celebrations below, one girl surfed on top of a passing car and somehow got herself off without injury. There were no Police anyway and not a bit of trouble.
Last night it was a mixture of nationalities – a group of Italians sat across from us – and they all were cheering on the Croatians, except of course the handful of English. The sang God Save the Queen rather sorrowfully at the end as we headed for te exit and the short car drive up the road to where we are staying.
You have to be careful with this driving on the right side of the road. It is of course the reverse problem for the French Bhoys in Glasgow and yesterday’s news that they had been involved in a raid traffic accident is worrying.
These are young guys so not experienced drivers. They are driving expensive, powerful cars and they are doing so on what is for them the unnatural side of the road. Every round about is tricky, a right turn for them will be particularly challenging and they will have to remind themselves to Keep Left at all times. It seems that they are all fine – Moussa seemed to be there or thereabout too but not involved in the accident. Olivier and Odsonne though can consider themselves to be very lucky boys, walking away from that unhurt.
Maybe an advanced driving course is something that would be looked at for their own safety? No assumptions here on what happened or who is to blame etc – just an observation and young guys driving on the left when they are used to the right hand driving used in France.
Brendan Rodgers will have been concerned when he heard about this accident and he wouldn’t have been particular pleased to see a Celtic player – recent signing Jack Hendry – get involved in gloating England after they lost to Croatia.
Hendry recently made his Scotland debut and has been used as cover for both Lustig at right back and Boyata at the centre of the Celtic defence in his six months at the club.
Lustig and Boyata of course have had fine World Cup campaigns and are now on their two week break from football that Rodgers agreed with the four Celtic stars who played at the World Cup.
None of these four said anything on social media last night yet Hendry jumps in with his size twelves and sets himself up for a hard time should Celtic draw an English side in Europe this season. Brendan will think that it was an unnecessary thing for Hendry to do.
While watching England, I was keeping an eye on update from the Valur v Rosenborg game in Iceland. The only goal of the game came six minutes from the end when Eidur Sigurbjonsson scored to give the Icelandic champions a lead to take to Norway. – so it will be a competitive second leg to see who will play Celtic in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers.
Hopefully by the time Celtic play the eventual winners of that second leg John McGinn will be a Celtic player.
