In a World Cup full of surprises, England went and won a penalty shootout.
Harry Kane and Co held their nerve to win a dramatic shootout and reach the World Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday just when it appeared they were heading for yet more penalty heartbreak.
Eric Dier scored the decisive penalty to win the shootout 4-3 and send Gareth Southgate’s team through to a meeting with Sweden, who earlier beat Switzerland.
Colombia appeared on the edge of reaching their second consecutive World Cup quarter-final when Jordan Henderson’s penalty was saved by David Ospina, keeping the score at 3-2.
But Mateus Uribe then struck the crossbar and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Carlos Bacca, extending his left arm to stop the ball as he dived to his right.
This was the first time in the team’s history that they had won a World Cup match decided by a shootout. The Three Lions had lost to Germany in 1990, Argentina in 1998 and Portugal in 2006.
The penalty shootout win sent Twitter into delirium, with fans and England players unable to hide their joy. There was an outpouring of joy and relief, and even the Royalty joined in.
The players, present and former, were overjoyed too.
Some of the fans couldn’t simply believe it.
And as he often does, Gary Lineker perfectly summed it up...
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