There was no thunderous singing of Wonderwall. Just tears and near silence. England's World Cup dream ended in heartbreak - again. Just like every single tournament since 1966. But this defeat seemed particularly cruel though. It was a case of “so close, but so far.”
Tense Night Ends in Disappointment
It was tense. An incredibly tense night. At the end the England fans tried to raise a cheer for their team and applauded loudly as Harry Kane led his distraught players over to thank them for their support. Many others had already headed for the exit unable to bear watching Lionel Messi and his team-mates celebrate. I saw England fans slumped on the concourse. Some had their heads in their hands and were openly crying.
Minutes Away from History
They were just minutes away from a first World Cup final in 60 years. I watched as they streamed, almost shellshocked, away from the stadium heading for somewhere to drown their sorrows. It wasn’t a match of great quality but it was a match of great intensity. I’ve never heard the English national anthem booed more loudly than inside the Atlanta stadium. I couldn’t even hear the England fans singing the anthem.
Hostile Atmosphere from Argentinian Fans
I saw my first England game way back in 1978 and I’ve never heard such sustained booing in 48 years of following and reporting on England. The Argentinians vociferously jeered every word of “God Save the King.” There was a pocket of them dancing and singing right in the middle of the main group of England fans. Some wore shirts bearing the words “Hand of God” taunting Three Lions supporters about Diego Maradona’s controversial 1986 goal.
Memories of Maradona
The match brought back vivid memories of my interview with Maradona. Back in 2005 I met the Argentine legend in Qatar. He talked about his cocaine addiction, his kids and refused point blank to apologise for the “hand of god”. Of course he is still revered in his homeland and I saw several shirts and flags here bearing his name. He declined to say sorry and I was hoping for sweet revenge in this semi final - but it wasn’t to be.
Fans Share Their Heartbreak
One of the great privileges of covering England is meeting fans who devote their lives to supporting clubs outside the Premier League. On the concourse I spoke to Clive Heathcock, 69, from Crewe. He has been a Crewe Alexandra season ticket holder since 1977 and he is the perfect example of what a football fan should be. He loves his team and loves his country with a passion. He said: “To lose like that is just desperately sad. The lads did so well to get to the semi final. We may have fallen at the final hurdle but they’ve been brilliant all tournament. It’s just such a shame we couldn’t hold out until the end.”
Youngest Fan at Two Semi-Finals
And I last met Harry O’Leary eight years ago in Moscow. He was then just eight-years-old and was with his mum and dad Ryan and Barbara. He was in Red Square a day before England lost to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-final. Incredibly he was here today in Atlanta. He’s now 16. He must be the youngest England fan in history to attend two World Cup semi-finals. It was an amazing moment for him and his family and it was lovely to see them again. The family, QPR fans, only arrived the day before the game.
Desperate Search for Tickets
Before the game one fan stood forlornly outside with a sign saying: “Came here from Swindon still looking for a ticket that costs less than a car.” After the result I really hope he didn’t get lucky!
