Football is not coming home

This was a dead-even game from start to finish, but Croatia just had a bit more quality in the end. England scored none of their open play chances, while Croatia had a pair of quality finishes.

Kieran Trippier opened the scoring with a spectacular free kick just five minutes in, and England looked like the more likely team to score throughout the first half. But Croatia fought back, and Ivan Perisic’s equalizer sent the match into extra time.

Perisic had a part in the winner too, grabbing the assist with a flicked header into the path of Croatia’s leading scorer, Mandzukic, who gave his team a lead they’d never relinquish in the second period of extra time.

Here’s the scene from the moment that the final whistle blew.

They’ve completed another comeback! Croatia leads after 109 minutes off a scrappy play. After England clears an initial cross into the box, Perisic fights for a header and flicks it perfectly into the path of Mandzukic, who finishes from eight yards. Scrappy and impressive goal.

After the Croats spent the last 30 minutes of regular time on the front foot, they looked like the more tired side over the last 15 minutes. Luka Modric, who has been arguably the best player at this tournament, looks out on his feet. Ivan Strinic, arguably the best left back at this tournament, was subbed off injured.

This hurt Mario Mandzukic quite a bit, though he’d play on with a broken leg.

What an outstanding block by Sime Vrsaljko.

Bonus soccer! And we’re almost as thrilled to see it as France is. This has been a wild, back-and-forth game, with both teams creating plenty of chances to win it. But their finishing has let them down, so we get to watch another 30 minutes of this. Delightful.

If you need a refresher, here are the World Cup overtime rules.

It looked like he had two goals in four minutes! And Ante Rebic should have done better with the follow-up too.

And that moment where England regrets not finishing any of its half-dozen open play chances is now. Sime Vrsaljko hits a perfect cross to the center of the box, Perisic cuts inside a second quicker than Kyle Walker, then scores an unorthodox finish with the outside of a high boot.

It’s been an excellent first half for England, but they might come to regret all of the chances they missed. Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic have been quiet, and the Three Lions can probably count on seeing stiffer opposition in the second half.

He’ll want this one back.

England’s had all of the chances, and these are two huge ones.

Kieran Trippier’s first goal for England is a spectacular free kick in the World Cup semifinal. Luka Modric fouled Dele Alli just outside the penalty area, and England’s right back took the responsibility, then placed a gorgeous shot into the top right corner.

Neither England or Croatia are pulling out any tricks for their World Cup semifinal matchup. England is playing the exact same team as they did in the quarterfinal, while Croatia has made just one defensive change, bringing in midfielder Marcelo Brozovic for the more attacking Andrej Kramaric.

With one final’s spot decided, England and Croatia are set to fight for the remaining spot in the Final of the 2018 World Cup. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, and you can watch it on Fox and Telemundo. Online streaming is available in English through Fox Sports Go here or in Spanish through Telemundo here.

England have appeared in two semifinal matches and advanced once to the final. They also hold one championship title from the 1966 World Cup. The only other time England advanced to the semifinals was in 1990, where they finished in fourth place. Croatia have four total World Cup appearances with one advancement to the semifinals in 1998, where the team finished in third.

The winner of this match will face France in the final World Cup match on Sunday, while the other will play for third place against Belgium on Saturday.

Time: 2 p.m. ET

Location: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia

TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Streaming: Watch the game on Fox Sports Go (English) and Telemundo Deportes en vivo (Spanish) for free if you sign in with your TV provider. It’s also on subscription services like Fubo and Hulu.

Odds: England -0.5 (Full odds at OddsShark)

‘Football’s coming home,’ explained

You’ve heard it. If you’ve had even the faintest contact with England fans over the course of this World Cup, you’ve have heard it. Maybe you saw it online, floating around Twitter, jammed into every meme going. Maybe you heard it offline, in the real world, being sung from the white-and-red crowds in Russian stadiums and squares, or in England’s pubs and parks.

The 4 remaining World Cup teams, ranked by how likely they are to win the thing

Twenty eight teams of the 2018 World Cup are gone. Four remain. They’re all wonderful sides in their own right, blessed with talent and cohesion and all four with plenty of narratives heading into the semifinal. At this point, any team can win the Final. Seriously.