China News Service, Beijing, July 8 (Reporter Wang Zumin) On the morning of the 8th, Beijing time, the Russian World Cup ended two quarter-finals in the second half. England and Croatia eliminated Sweden and Russia respectively, becoming opponents in the semi-finals. With the French and Belgian teams in another semi-final, the European team won the World Cup semi-finals for the fifth time.
The European team had previously won the semi-finals of the World Cup in 1934, 1966, 1982 and 2006. Except for the England team winning the championship as the host in 1966, the Italian team, who missed this cup, won the other three championships.
At 22:00 on July 7, Beijing time, the third quarter-final match of the World Cup in Russia ended. With Maguire and Ali's header in the first and second half, England defeated Swedish team 2:0 and advanced to the semi-finals first in the second half. China News Agency reporter Tomotian photographed
England 2:0 Sweden
Young Three Lions Legion does not believe in "evil"! After eliminating Colombia in the penalty shootout in the 1/8 final and breaking the "curse" of losing in the penalty shootout in the World Cup, the "nemesis" Sweden was eliminated and returned to the semi-finals after 28 years.
In the previous half century of competition, the England team was at a clear disadvantage, and the Swedish team was therefore called the "English nemesis". But time has changed, the Nordic Vikings still follow the "long-term pass" and their opponent is no longer the "Three Meow Legion" of the past.
Starting this game, facing the England team with superior technical level and outstanding personal ability, the Swedish team, known for its tall figure and tough style, could not fully display the defensive counterattack they were good at. The Three Lions won 2:0 with one goal in the first and second half.
In the 30th minute, England won the first corner kick opportunity in the game, Maguire scored a header, and England led 1:0. So far, England's 10 goals in this Cup, 8 of them came from set pieces (4 from corner kicks, 1 from free kicks, and 3 penalty kicks).
In the second half, England team defeated Sweden's high-altitude advantage through continuous low passes. In the 58th minute, Ali received a diagonal pass from Lingard and knocked on the opponent's goal with a header. The 22-year-old Tottenham midfielder also became the second youngest World Cup scoring player in England's history after , Irving and .
The England team led by two goals and contracted its defense line, and the Swedish team launched a sharp counterattack. England's 24-year-old goalkeeper Pickford , who saved the penalty in the 1/8 final, showed his magic again and saved the team's city gate.
has once again entered the semi-finals. England, which lacks big-name stars and an average age of 26, has tied the team's second best result in the World Cup. Since winning the championship as a host in 1966, England, which owns Gascoin , finished fourth in the 1990 World Cup.
With two goals in this game, the Three Lions scored 11 goals in this cup, tying the team's single World Cup record - England won the championship after scoring 11 goals in 1966.
At 2:00 am on July 8, Beijing time, the last quarter-final of the Russian World Cup was staged in Sochi. Russia and Croatia tied 2:2 in the 120-minute civil war. In the penalty shootout, Croatia made 4 of 5 free throws, and Russian made 3 free throws. In the end, Croatia defeated Russia 6:5 in total and reached the semi-finals. They will face England. China News Agency reporter Mao Jianjun Photo
Croatia 6:5 Russia (Punishment War 4:3)
The most unpredictable game also brought the biggest suspense - after the twists and turns of the Russian team leading within 90 minutes, Croatia equalized, and Croatia overtakes in overtime, and Russia equalized, the host finally fell in the penalty shootout, and Croatia won 6:5 (Punishment War 4:3), and advanced to the semi-finals after 20 years.
The Russian team, which ranked last in the top 32, advanced to the top 16 with the first place in the group, and eliminated the favorite Spanish team in the 1/8 final. Its unpredictable "energy" makes the outside world look forward to whether they can create a "host miracle". The game started with
. With the fanatical cheers of home fans, the Russian team got into the state faster and seized the advantage of the start.In the 31st minute, Cheryshev suddenly used a cold arrow after cooperating with Jiuba , and took a world wave to lead Russia with a 1:0 lead. Cheryshev also ranked second in the scorer list after England's Kane with four goals.
But the Russian team's lead did not disrupt the rhythm of the Croatian team. grid legion is not impatient and uses the midfield advantage to gradually gain the initiative on the field. In the 39th minute, Mandzukic broke into the penalty area and made a cross from the left side. Carmalic headed the ball to the top, setting the score to 1:1.
After the second half of the battle, the game started again in overtime. In the 100th minute, Croatia got a corner kick opportunity, Vida scored a header, and Croatia took the lead 2:1. The Russian team hit back just 4 minutes later. While taking advantage of the set-piece opportunity, Fernandez also headed the ball and tied the score again 2:2. Both teams entered the penalty shootout for the second time in a row.
Croatian goalkeepers Subaic and Russian goalkeeper Akinfeev , who made contributions in the last game, continued to make wonderful saves and saved a penalty kick respectively. But in the third round, Fernandez, who equalized the score in overtime, accidentally knocked the ball off the ball, and Croatia won the penalty shootout 4:3.
In 1998, Croatia won the third place in the World Cup for the first time, becoming the strongest dark horse in history. After 20 years, the Glory Legion returns! Although
missed the semi-finals, the host also declared the strong rise of Russian football with his outstanding performance in this cup and far exceeding people's expectations. Their highlights in the World Cup were in the semi-finals in 1966 during the former Soviet Union, but since their independence, the Russian team has never obtained the right to qualify in the group.
The two semi-finals of this World Cup (France-Belgium, England-Croatia) will be held in the early morning of Beijing time on the 11th and 12th (local time on the 10th and 11th evening). (End)
