COLOMBIA 1, ENGLAND 1 (ENGLAND WIN 4-3 on penalties)
England will play Sweden in the World Cup quarter finals after qualifying for the last eight for the first time since 2006 following their first penalty shootout win at the World Cup – against Colombia – in four attempts.
Just when it looked like Jordan Henderson was going to go down in history as the latest England player to miss a penalty in a shootout, he was relieved to see Mateus Uribe hit the bar with the next spot kick.
Jordan Pickford might not be the tallest goalkeeper at the World Cup but he saved Carlos Bacca’s spot kick before Eric Dier scored the penalty that sent his team mates into the next stage of the World Cup even though Arsenal’s David Ospina got a hand to the Spurs man’s decider.
Penalties seemed such an inevitability after Colombia’s big defender Yerry Mina rescued them from defeat in injury time with a header just when it seemed that Harry Kane had sent them into a quarter final game with Sweden.
Kane fired home a second half penalty after some rough house Columbia fouling but Yerry Mina forced extra time with a header in injury time as England lost their way after an hour of enthralling football.
Colombia only started to play after England faded after the hour mark of the contest, creating the better chances at the business end of the game.
Wilmar Barrios had already escaped a first half red card after appearing to headbutt Jordan Henderson while both sides set up a free kick as Colombia tried every trick in the book to keep England off balance but they couldn’t resist more sly digs at Gareth Southgate’s team and were rightly penalised.
England are building up a reputation at the World Cup of being hard to play against and very dangerous from set pieces and it was one such routine that England earned a penalty in the second half.
Mina’s injury time setback meant that fans had to endure 30 more minutes of nail-biting plus a cathartic penalty shoot-out before emerging victorious at the Spartak Stadium.
Gareth Southgate names the same England team that beat Tunisia
Southgate reverted back to the same team that started the 2-1 win over Tunisia at the start of their World Cup campaign, recalling fit-again Dele Alli and Ashley Young at left back following the 1-0 defeat to Belgium that sent England into the ‘easier’ half of the World Cup draw.
England were aggressive from the start and found it relatively easy to play around the Colombian side who were missing talismanic playmaker James Rodriguez through injury.
Ashley Young tested Ospina’s reflexes twice in the first six minutes, the first a direct free kick after Yerry Mina had handled the ball after sliding in to block Raheem Sterling’s run down the edge of the box.
Sterling had a shot blocked as England drew the first save of the save from Arsenal ‘keeper David Ospina while Harry Kane’s close range header after 16 minutes landed on the top of the goal after Kieran Trippier’s cross found his captain.
Colombia were unable to fashion much of a threat on England’s goal, with Radamel Falcao thwarted by John Stones and Harry Maguire in an early attempt to wriggle into some space.
Set pieces were again England’s strong point despite few chances for either side and Colombia fully aware of the danger, being guilty of wrestling with England players – the best chance of getting near them as they patiently built up their attacks but remained unable to convert any of that build-up into a goal.
England’s momentum was draining away and niggly fouls between the players which played into the hands of Colombia.
Barrios somehow managed to only get a caution for appearing to headbutt Jordan Henderson after intervention by the referee and Trippier sent the resulting free kick wide of the goal after 42 minutes ith England players fuming at the decision.
And Kane sent a long range chance wide while Juan Quintero finally tested Jordan Pickford in the England goal in added time before Jesse Lingard volleyed over the bar.
Dele Alli was kicked in the follow-through by Radamel Falcao as they both challenged for a ball.
Kane was beaten to an Young free kick by Davinson Sanchez and his namesake Carlos Sanchez was penalised for hauling down Kane.
There was to be no bargaining with the American referee Mark Geiger who was heartily sick of the cheating but missed the Colombians sneakily scuffing up the penalty spot while Geiger was distracted.
Harry Kane makes Colombia pay the penalty for niggling fouls
Three minutes after the original award of the penalty Kane remained ice cool and smashed the ball down the middle past Ospina for his sixth goal of the World Cup.
Carlos Bacca was quickly introduced by Colombia who had to chase the game rather than England players. Bacca replaced Jefferson Lerma in the 62nd minute but Alli headed a Trippier cross just over the bar as England continued to attract fouls from the Colombians who were not put off by the number of bookings they were collecting.
Come the final 15 minutes Colombia started to put a few passes together and started to threaten but England simply countered and Lingard went down in the penalty area under the close attention of Davinson Sanchez on one fast England break when he was found by Sterling.
By this time Colombia had sacrificed both of their defensive midfielders – Carlos Sanchez and Jefferson Lerma – for more attacking options – while Southgate responded by replacing Alli with Eric Dier.
England had a massive let-off after a Kyle Walker’s hesitation after Dier tried to find him – Colombia counter attacked quickly but Cuadrado blazed over when clear of the defence in a wide position.
England could have doubled their lead late on when Kane found Lingard who ran for the ball but it got away from him and Barrios got in to clear the danger.
Maguire headed a Trippier ball wide as England continued to keep Colombia at bay – and with just over five minutes to go.
Falcao had a couple of half chances as the crosses came in for the South Americans with England flagging.
Bacca’s long range shot was saved by Pickford and England replaced Sterling with Jamie Vardy while Luis Muriel replaced Juan Quintero with 2 minutes to go.
Yerry Mina heads injury time equaliser to force Extra Time for Colombia
It was desperation time for Colombia and Uribe tried his luck from 40 yards and was denied by Pickford in the 92nd minute with a great save. England’s luck ran out a minute later when Yerry Mina outjumped Harry Maguire from the resulting corner and forced extra time with his third headed goal of the World Cup.
Extra time it was then, but the injuries and fatigue started piling up – Mina was struggling with a groin injury, while Young was limping too until Danny Rose replaced him after 12 minutes of Extra Time.
Mina had sent another header from a corner wide as England started to get sloppy – Falcao sent a cross by Johan Mojika wide after slipping between Maguire and Stones.
Colombia looked much more dangerous with time ticking down but Jamie Vardy was offside when he shot straight at Ospina after Henderson’s early forward pass at the start of the second period of Extra Time.
Pickford raced off his line to clear a Bacca ball forward, and Danny Rose powered a shot wide of the back post after Henderson played him in.
Kyle Walker had been suffering from cramp in the late stages and he was replaced by Marcus Rashford – England’s fourth and final substitution of the game.
Trying to stave off penalties, Eric Dier headed over another Trippier corner but England couldn’t escape their destiny.
Southgate may know all about penalty shootout misery but it turns out that luck was on their side though.
COLOMBIA vs ENGLAND – PENALTIES
Radamel Falcao – SCORED down the middle
Harry Kane SCORED down the left
Juan Cuadrado SCORED to the left – Pickford went the right way but it was too fast into the top corner
Marcus Rashford SCORED emphatically to the left
Luis Muriel SCORED rolled it to the right
Jordan Henderson to the right SAVED – to the right at a middling height for David Ospina
Mateus Uribe MISSED – hit the bar
Kieran Trippier SCORED to the left top corner
Carlos Bacca SAVED – going left and high – Pickford got the ball with his left hand
Eric Dier SCORED – to the left but Ospina got a hand on it
Jordan Pickford became the first England goalkeeper to save a penalty in a major tournament shootout since David Seaman against Argentina in World Cup 1998.
COLOMBIA vs ENGLAND – MATCH STATS
Colombia: Ospina, Arias (Zapata 115), Mina, D Sanchez, Mojica, C Sanchez (Uribe 79), Barrios, Lerma (Bacca 62), Quintero (Muriel 88), Juan Cuadrado, Falcao
Booked: Barrios 41, Arias 52, C Sanchez 54, Falcao 63, Bacca 64, Cuadrado 118
Goal: Mina 90+3
England: Pickford, Walker (Rashford 113), Stones, Maguire, Henderson, Trippier, Lingard, Alli (Dier 81), Young (Rose 102), Sterling (Vardy 88), Kane
Booked: Henderson 56, Lingard 69
Goal: Kane pen 57