Dier scores decisive penalty kick
in ill tampered last 16 matches against Colombia to seal England's progress.
England beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after Eric Dier scored the decisive spot kick to send them through to a World Cup quarter-final against Sweden.
England
had previously lost all three World Cup shootouts and three of four in the
European Championship but prevailed on Tuesday when Mateus Uribe and Carlos
Bacca failed to convert, leaving Dier to win the game for England.
It
was the first time Colombia had been involved in a World Cup shootout and they
took first blood when Jordan Henderson missed his spot kick but for once
fortune smiled on England.
Earlier, Harry Kane smashed in a 57th minute penalty,
his sixth goal of the tournament, and England looked to be through until Yerry
Mina headed an equaliser in the third minute of stoppage time.
Colombia's hopes suffered a huge setback before kickoff when key playmaker
James Rodriguez was ruled out with a calf injury and without him they took a
defensive approach and never rarely threatened.
The South Americans had been getting away with blatant holding and
wrestling at each of England's many corners and the referee's patience finally
snapped when Carlos Sanchez hauled down tournament leading scorer Kane once too
often.
After four minutes of mayhem as the Colombians protested, Kane
kept his cool and smashed in his third spot kick of Russia 2018.
When Juan Cuadrado blazed horribly over the bar with the goal
gaping 10 minutes from time with Colombia's first chance of the match it looked
all over for them but there was a fiery sting in the tail of normal time.
England keeper Jordan Pickford made a superb save to touch wide a
furious long shot by Uribe but from the following corner Colombia's first of the match giant defender Mina rose highest to head in
the equalizer and send the massed Colombian fans into a frenzy.
England substitute Dier missed the best chance of the extra period
when he headed over the bar but he made up for it in emphatic fashion with the
winning penalty in the shootout.
It was England's first win in a knockout game since 2006 and earns
them a quarter-final with Sweden, who were far from impressive in beating
Switzerland 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.
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