From Pickford to Uribe, winners and losers as England beat Colombia on penalties

In a tense and nervy night, England beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties.

It was an incredibly tetchy match with lots of yellow cards shown, and yet more overlooked. England looked set to win until a last second equaliser forced extra time, and then penalties, where the Three Lions won their first-ever penalty shootout in World Cup history.

Who are the winners and losers? Read on!

Winner: Jordan Pickford

When Everton paid 30 million British pounds sterling for Jordan Pickford a year ago, many laughed at them. And he struggled through the season for sure. And then when Gareth Southgate picked him as their no. 1, many people were laughing again.

Throughout the tournament, Pickford didn’t really have a chance to show his skill. And then when he finally pulled off a miraculous save from Mateus Uribe late in the 95th minute, it was followed seconds later by Yerry Mina heading in Colombia’s equaliser so he couldn’t get any shine. And then in the shootout, Colombia’s first miss was struck against the bar.

Was he ever going to get a chance to show his worth? Well yes, because when Carlos Bacca stepped up to put Colombia back into the lead, Pickford had him pegged. He dove across, palmed the ball out and away and put England one penalty away from victory. Finally, one year on, Jordan Pickford proves beyond all shadow of a doubt that 30 million British pounds sterling was a bargain for a hero.

Loser: Mateus Uribe

Mateus Uribe came on for Carlos Sánchez with 11 minutes left in the game and he turned the game in Colombia’s favour. Suddenly they were moving the ball quickly from the base of midfield, and chances were being created. Uribe thundered a long range effort and pulled a great save out of Jordan Pickford, forcing the corner that Yerry Mina equalised from.

In extra time, he played well too. Very confident. But in the shootout, immediately following Jordan Henderson’s miss with the chance to put his side 3-1 up with an enormous advantage, Uribe fired a ridiculous penalty far too high. The ball flew up, struck the crossbar and came flying out. An absurd strike, and immediately handed the momentum back to England just minutes after Ospina had snatched it for Colombia. True to form, England scored their next two penalties and Carlos Bacca missed to hand England the win, but Uribe was the turning point and he will probably never forget it.

Winner: Harry Kane

Harry Kane has not played well at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Harry Kane has 6 goals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. These two statements are both, incredibly, true. Kane’s involvement in England’s overall play has been static for the most part. He often gets lost amid the excellent movement of England’s attacking players and moves pass him by.

But when England need a goalscorer, be that picking up the pieces on corners or converting pressure penalties, Harry Kane steps up. Harry Kane repeatedly steps up. If you cut him open and found a cold fusion engine where his heart was meant to be, you wouldn’t be surprised. Man is not mean to be so nerveless.

His penalty was taken after a solid four minutes of shenanigans from Colombia, which would have put any human off, but not Kane. The England captain went full Terminator and, with no hesitation, switched his placement last second to score past Davide Ospina (who dove the direction Kane had put his last two penalties). 1-0 England and Kane took a two-goal lead in his race to win the World Cup golden boot.

Injury appeared to hobble him for the final hour of the game, and he was barely functional in extra time. But he stepped up in the shootout and slammed his penalty home, low and hard into the side of the net. An emphatic conversion from England’s striker supreme.

Loser: Carlos Sánchez

Carlos Sanchez has not had a good World Cup. His group stage consisted of a red card after 3 minutes and a disappointing game where he slowed his side’s passing down. Here today he did much the same, and with James Rodríguez’s absence, Sánchez’s nonsense was genuinely problematic for the Colombians and the fact that it took 79 minutes for José Pekerman to take him off was baffling.

In addition to just being terrible and slowing down the pace of Colombia’s play, Sánchez also committed the cardinal sin of knocking Harry Kane to the ground in full view of the referee, conceding the penalty that changed the entire rhythm and tempo of the game.

Sánchez’s stupidity gave the Three Lions an advantage they rarely looked like surrendering; and it was so telling that Colombia only moved the ball with true fluency (and got an equaliser) after Sánchez went off. That it was his replacement Mateus Uribe whose long-range blast earned the corner that saw Colombia equalise was wonderful poetry.

Winner: Yerry Mina and Davinson Sánchez

Much was made of the potency of England’s dynamic midfield and attack, and how it could pose problems for Colombia. And then there was England’s set-piece excellence, where Harry Maguire and John Stones had towered above opponents to create endless goals for England.

But against Colombia, none of this proved to be true. England moved the ball quickly, for sure, and on set-pieces they sent their big men forward – it’s just they repeatedly ran into the moving brick walls of Yerry Mina and Davinson Sánchez. The young centre-back duo were colossal in terms of dealing with England’s vibrant attacking threat. They closed off passing lanes, prevented quick movement and won countless headers to nullify England’s excellent set-pieces.

And as if to cap all that off, when Colombia were literally seconds from elimination, Yerry Mina launched himself into the air and headed home a spectacular effort to pull his country level. It was a monumental and heroic header, his third of the tournament – which is more than anyone has managed since Miroslav Klose in 2002. The man is death from above.

Loser: VAR

VAR missed, in no particular order; Jordan Henderson headbutting Yerry Mina, about eleventy billion Colombian holds and pulls and fouls, John Stones kicking Radamel Falcao in the head, Ashley Young going studs up over the ball into a 50/50 and connecting, and VAR saw and acknowledged Wilmer Barrios’ headbutt on Jordan Henderson but somehow deemed it worthy of only a yellow card.

Colombia and England fought a brutal, nasty and ugly game between them. So many fouls and asides. This was a true test for VAR’s powers and in all honesty it failed to keep up with the relentless pace set by these two sides. At the very least it didn’t overrule the referee when he gave Harry Kane a penalty, although with the way it was going you half expected it.

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