World Cup 2018: England finish fourth after 2-0 loss to Belgium
Written by News on 15/07/2018
England have come fourth in the World Cup after losing 2-0 to Belgium in the third place play-off.
It marks the country’s best result in a World Cup since 1990, when they also finished fourth, and is Belgium’s best-ever finish.
England went behind in the fourth minute when Belgium’s towering striker Romelu Lukaku played Eden Hazard through out wide.
The Chelsea forward whipped the ball into the box and Thomas Meunier got ahead of Danny Rose to tap it in at the far post.
England played with passion and showed their ability with a number of chances, but ultimately weren’t able to bring the game level after slipping behind.
An incisive Belgium breakaway in the 82nd minute saw Hazard slip past Phil Jones and solidify the result.
Gareth Southgate made five changes to the starting eleven that lost against Croatia, although Harry Kane remained up front in a bid to win the golden boot award for the player with the most goals.
Kane finishes the tournament with six goals with his nearest competitor still to play, France’s Kylian Mbappe, on three.
The game marked a downbeat end to the tournament for England, but it was a campaign that has sparked renewed hope in the national team.
Enda Brady, Sky’s correspondent in St Petersburg, wrote: “You could sum up this campaign in one word for England – progress. Maybe even pride.”
The team will now be look toward the UEFA Euro 2020 championship where they could expect to see the continued excitement of England fans with the semi-finals and finals expected to be played at Wembley.
The World Cup 2018 final will be played at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday by France and Croatia.
Although the team might be coming home, England can take consolation from helping the country fall back in love with their national team.
After the Three Lions lost to Croatia in the semi-final, there were few of the usual recriminations seen after England gets knocked out of a tournament.
The 2-1 loss in last Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final prompted a raft of proud tweets from celebrities, sports people and even royalty.
Following the loss to Belgium, the FA’s official Twitter account stated: “A great achievement and just the start for this team. Well done, England.”
(c) Sky News 2018: World Cup 2018: England finish fourth after 2-0 loss to Belgium
