England, Croatia beat the odds to reach semis
England defied almost three decades of disappointment to move confidently into the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990 as headers from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli downed a dogged but toothless Sweden 2-0 on Saturday.
Far more fancied England sides had failed to reach the last four in the past but Gareth Southgate's young squad powered on as they continued to make a mockery of dampened pre-tournament expectations with another impressive display in Russia.
They were set on their way when Maguire rose imperiously to head home from a corner and Alli added the killer blow after the break as England showed they are not entirely dependent on the tournament's leading scorer Harry Kane for goals.
If anything, England's hero on the day was to be found at the other end of the pitch as keeper Jordan Pickford produced three superb saves to shut out the workmanlike Swedes.
"We had to withstand a lot of physical pressure," said England coach Gareth Southgate. "The resilience of the team and togetherness of the team today was crucial. Today our spirit was as good as theirs and our quality a little bit better."
The fans who serenaded their side at the Samara Arena stayed long after fulltime to herald the achievement, knowing that with so many of the favorites having departed, England have arguably their best chance of global glory in more than half a century.
