Today's brief recap is dedicated to the semi-final game between England and Croatia which was held at Luzhniki Stadium on July 11, 2018. Luzhniki Stadium is the biggest football stadium in Russia which can accommodate 81,000 people. Given its size, it was decided to hold one of the semi-finals and the final game at this beautiful stadium. It was actually renovated before the World Cup since it was originally opened in 1956. The pressure on both England and Croatia was built up long before the kickoff, as England was unable to perform on the big stage for quite some time, while Croatia never reached the World Cup final before. Many viewed England as a heavy favorite and predicted the France vs England final before the game even started.
As for the fans, there were far more English fans at the semi-final game as opposed to the 1/8th against Colombia. When I asked English fans why they did not come support the team earlier, they said that they were afraid and concerned for their safety. Apparently, European media has warned their fans not to travel to Russia because they would be harmed by the local hooligans and would be in a risk of physical injury. But once they saw that they have nothing to worry about, English fans flocked to the capital in massive numbers. It is quite sad to hear that politics and media would blatantly manipulate people and create a false image, but hey, this is the world we live in. I am just glad that they got to come at some point during the World Cup and see that Russia actually did a great job organizing the even and ensuring everyone's safety. Surprisingly, Croatia was represented well at this game as well. A lot of the fans sporting the checkered white and red jerseys and war paint gathered around the stadium making themselves heard. When looking at the breakdown of the fans, I would say that both England and Croatia were represented relatively balanced. There was no fan base that was clearly a dominating force as was the case at other games I attended.
While the match itself was not the perfect display of both teams' capabilities and skills, there was more than enough drama. A quick goal by the English team put the stadium in the frenzy. Unfortunately for England, they have stopped playing their style of football once they scored. Croatia desperately needed an equalizer so they marched forward with everything they had. Their efforts were rewarded with a goal about twenty minutes before the end of regulation which sent the game into extra time. Croatia kept bombarding England's goal and managed to score a second goal ten minutes before the end of the second extra half. The stadium went crazy. Croatians were jumping up and down, yelling and chanting the songs, while English fans looked lost. They could not believe that their team, the founders of the game itself, were losing to a nation with a population of four million people. While I always supported the English team at any major tournament, Croatia deserved the win that day. They looked hungrier, with a bigger chip on their shoulder, to prove that they deserve to be in the final. And with just a bit of luck on their side, I do believe that they can re-write history and get that first long awaited star on their jerseys!