The England 2018 World Cup Myth

It was the summer of 2018 and England was in party mode. The national team were on the way to a semi-final in a major tournament for the first time since 1996 and a World Cup semi-final for the first time since 1990. The 22 years that followed had brought nothing but pain, from Beckham’s clip of Simeone’s ankle and subsequent penalty shoot out loss to Argentina in 1998 to the dismal group stage exit at the hands of Costa Rica and Uruguay in 2014. We had almost gotten used to suffering at the World Cup, so the 2018 performance had to be something that was celebrated.

Was it? Perhaps. I would argue against it being that big of an achievement, though. Like Harry Kane’s golden boot, which was essentially two decent goals, three penalties and an inadvertent clip off the ankle, I certainly think that their run has been over-hyped. They needed a last-minute winner to scrape past Tunisia before wiping the floor with a pathetic Panama, leaving them a showdown with Belgium for top spot. As it turned out, the final group game was something of a damp squib, with each team almost fielding a 2nd string eleven in a 1-0 Belgium win. This did not worry England fans one iota however, as many saw the pathway from 2nd place to be a little bit easier than if they'd come 1st.

It proved to be the case, as a last 16 fixture against Columbia was followed by a quarter final against Sweden as opposed to Belgium’s second round against Japan and quarter final against the mighty Brazil. Even so, they almost stumbled against a Columbia team missing their talisman, James Rodriguez; having been taken all the way to penalties (although they did banish a few demons by winning them). The 2-0 victory against Sweden was a lot more comfortable as it set up a last four clash against Croatia.

Any Englishmen would have snapped your metaphorical hand off at such a tie, having been able to avoid many of the so-called elite nations (even if Croatia had their fair share of top quality players). It wasn’t to be though, as an extra time Mario Mandzukic goal saw them off despite a bright start that came courtesy of a Trippier goal. The second relatively meaningless loss against Belgium came just a few days later, resigning England to a 4th place finish at the 2018 World Cup.

With a pathway made up of Tunisia, Panama, Belgium, Columbia, Sweden and Croatia, I am adamant that a semi-final place is the least that England could have expected in that tournament. Losing to Belgium twice as well as Croatia makes it somewhat of an underachievement. It is my firm belief, though, that if they had the team that they do currently, they would have beaten Croatia in that semi-final; and they would have had a good chance against France in the final. It may not have been the success that many have called it, but they got the nation hoping again, and they may well have set themselves on the path to something very special. Only time will tell on that score.

By Calum Dewsbury