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England finish fourth at World Cup after Eden Hazard seals Belgium win England finish fourth at World Cup after Eden Hazard seals Belgium win
(about 1 hour later)
There was a collective puffing of cheeks offered up by England’s players at the final whistle, victims of Belgium’s best World Cup showing, but that sense of disappointment will pass quickly enough. Gareth Southgate’s young and talented squad did themselves proud over this tournament. No other English team has ever bettered the fourth place they have claimed, unexpectedly and joyously, on foreign soil and their achievements are to be celebrated. There was a collective puffing of cheeks by England’s players at the final whistle as realisation dawned that it was over. They ended up victims of Belgium’s best-ever World Cup showing, beaten by a team who will be welcomed by King Philippe at Château de Laeken on Sunday before a parade in Brussels’ Grand Place. England intend to fly back, quietly and without fanfare, to Birmingham with holidays on their mind. Instinctively, it feels as if they might merit more.
The real frustration had been endured in the Luzhniki Stadium in midweek. This afterthought in St Petersburg, a game played amid Mexican waves and those familiar chants of “Rossiya”, should not tint anything that came before. Southgate will actually have been encouraged by the upbeat tempo his side whipped up after the interval, when weary legs and tired minds might have reduced the whole contest to a plod, and threatened for a while to force parity. Chances were created, opportunities were missed. Then Eden Hazard, stirred into action and fed by the irrepressible Kevin De Bruyne, danced down-field and settled the occasion. Gareth Southgate’s young and talented squad have surpassed all expectations. No England team have bettered the fourth place they claimed, unexpectedly and joyously, on foreign soil. Plenty of those on the outside looking in will offer reminders that they escaped high-calibre opposition courtesy of a kind draw, and that Belgium, ranked third in the world, beat them twice. The manager admitted there was a gulf in quality and experience between the two sides. But, in the context of the anxious mess England have appeared at recent major finals, this campaign has been regenerative.
Some will no doubt argue that England have still to prosper against top quality opposition in competitive action, if, indeed, that is what this was. Belgium have beaten them twice in this tournament and will be received by the crowds in Brussels on Sunday rejoicing in their best ever performance at the World Cup. Their celebrations at the end, from bench to pitch, reflected a sense of achievement. But, as Southgate had pointed out in the build-up, England never expected to be here. “I’m not sure anyone in our country thought we’d be playing seven matches,” he had offered. They return with their reputation revived, a squad inspired to improve further and bolstered by the positive experience they have enjoyed over four weeks in Russia. Their real frustration had been endured in the Luzhniki in midweek. This afterthought in St Petersburg, a game played amid the locals’ Mexican waves and those familiar chants of “Rossiya”, should not taint anything that came before. Their rather sluggish first-half showing could be explained by the reality they had been granted not much more than 48 hours, and virtually no training or preparation time, to recover from that crushing disappointment. A numbing sense of anticlimax had inevitably pursued them north from Moscow.
They ended up competing well here, despite a slack opening which left them chasing the game almost from the outset. England’s second half showing demonstrated all the pride and commitment for which Southgate had called. They were the dominant team after the interval, even if Belgium retained a considerable threat on the break, as demonstrated eight minutes from time by Hazard’s smart finish inside Jordan Pickford’s post. Yet headers at set-plays would drift wide, and Toby Alderweireld would hook Eric Dier’s clipped finish from the line. The stubborn refusal to wilt, despite having shipping a goal with the game in its infancy, was still admirable and said so much about the spirit of this collective. And they had still revived after the interval, with Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford injecting more urgency into the display, with so much of that refusal to go out with a whimper cause for optimism. Weary legs and tired minds always had the potential to reduce this contest to a plod as it dragged on in the muggy heat, but England were more assured in their passing, more forceful moving up the pitch and threatened to reclaim parity after Thomas Meunier’s early goal.
The introduction of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford at half-time had clearly made an impact, but to see the group straining to respond despite weary legs and tired minds was still impressive. There was actually plenty to admire: from Fabian Delph’s versatility and fine challenge to thwart Thomas Meunier; to Kieran Trippier’s delivery which so stretched even this experienced opposing back-line at times; the substitutes’ zest and a far more impressive showing from Ruben Loftus-Cheek; and Eric Dier’s increased influence in midfield. It had been the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder, one of five changes from the semi-final, who exchanged passes with Rashford midway through the second half to advance on Thibaut Courtois at an angle. His shot was clipped smartly over the goalkeeper, only for Alderweireld to slide in and scramble the effort from under the crossbar. Chances were created, opportunities missed. Then Eden Hazard, stirred into action and, fed by the irrepressible Kevin De Bruyne, danced down-field and settled the occasion by deceiving Jordan Pickford with a twist of his hips before burying a shot inside the near post. That was a reminder of the pedigree the English were up against.
England’s players massed in front of their supporters after the final whistle, serenaded to the heavens for their efforts, while Belgium prepared to mount the stage to claim their bronze medals. Theirs had been the bite, their ambitions made clear by the reality the wing-backs had combined to force them ahead while the game was still settling into its rhythm. That reward had stemmed from a Courtois clearance, nodded down by Nacer Chadli for Romelu Lukaku to accept and exploit the gaps in a rejigged England midfield. His pass inside Trippier for the galloping Chadli to collect was still superbly weighted, with the West Bromwich Albion player – who would depart before the break with hamstring trouble – squaring across the six-yard box. There appeared Meunier, sprinting in ahead of a startled Danny Rose, to convert beyond Pickford. At least a contest no one had relished was competitive at times, despite England’s slack opening which had left them chasing the game almost from the outset. Thibaut Courtois’ clearance had been nodded down by Nacer Chadli for Romelu Lukaku to accept, with the striker’s pass inside Kieran Trippier weighted perfectly for the West Bromwich Albion winger turned wing-back to collect. His cross was converted by Meunier, sprinting in ahead of a startled Danny Rose. “A horrible goal to concede,” offered Southgate. “But the players’ attitude was still outstanding.. They never stopped. They used the ball really well and, in the second half, the players were relentless. There were some incredible individual performances.”
The Everton goalkeeper would do well to paw away De Bruyne’s deflected effort, and thrillingly from Meunier’s late volley after a counter-attack crammed with back-heels and precise passing which left England gasping in the vapour trail. Twice the Manchester City playmaker split England’s back-line with subtle and perfectly weighted passes only for Lukaku’s heavy touch to kibosh the chance. The striker, four times a scorer in Russia, was substituted on the hour-mark and strode off straight down the tunnel, and was even absent in the post-match huddle out on the pitch. There was evidence aplenty of the pride and commitment for which Southgate had called. Lingard and Rashford seized back the initiative. The team seemed to take heart from a challenge summoned by Fabian Delph, switched to left-back at the break, to thwart Meunier. John Stones was outstanding, while Jordan Pickford, conjuring thrilling saves from Meunier and De Bruyne, maintained the largely excellent form he has offered. Trippier’s radar kicked in on set plays to stretch even a vastly experienced Belgian backline, and Ruben Loftus-Cheek grew into the game. It was the final pass or attempt which undermined them, and that has been a familiar failing.
His chances of claiming the golden boot had died here, with that honour surely now Harry Kane’s to celebrate, unless Kylian Mbappe or Antoine Griezmann runs riot in the final. The England captain only really had one sight of goal here, after the excellent John Stones clipped over a fine pass for Raheem Sterling, who squared neatly across the penalty area. Kane has looked as fatigued as anyone of late, and his standing duly leg gave way as he struck his shot. The effort veered wide of Courtois’s post. When Eric Dier exchanged passes with Rashford midway through the second half and advanced alone on Courtois, clipping his shot over the goalkeeper, there was Toby Alderweireld to slide in and hook the effort off the goalline. With that chance went English hopes of reward, with Belgium ending assured. They finished their tournament with six victories from seven matches, and it is vaguely baffling they will not be competing in Sunday’s final. A bronze medal seems inadequate given their rich talent, for all that Roberto Martínez – with 10 different goalscorers – revelled in the sense of achievement. In Hazard and De Bruyne they possess geniuses at work.
Those misses left England watching the post-game ceremony from the fringes, but they have not been peripheral to this tournament. And it has been a while since the nation has had that to celebrate. Southgate and his players can look back with pride. Twice the Manchester City playmaker had slipped Lukaku beyond England’s backline with subtle and gloriously weighted passes, only for the striker’s heavy touch to let him down. Lukaku, four times a scorer in Russia but wounded by France, was substituted on the hour and strode straight down the tunnel, his lingering hopes of claiming the Golden Boot dashed, and was even absent from the post-match huddle on the pitch.
That prize will surely go to Harry Kane, unless Kylian Mbappé or Antoine Griezmann runs riot in the final, even if he looked the most exhausted of England’s players through the last two games. He ended up watching too much of this game from the fringes, but England, for once, have not been peripheral. It has been a while since the nation has had that to celebrate.
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