sport news IAN LADYMAN: England's defence struggled to deal with Olivier Giroud and ... trends now
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In the end it was half a yard that made the difference. That was the jump that Olivier Giroud got on Harry Maguire to meet Antoine Griezmann’s cross and send England home from this World Cup.
The header even took a nudge off Maguire’s shoulder as it thundered past Jordan Pickford. That was how close the contest for the ball was and it mirrored this game perfectly. England were France’s equal in every department apart from inside the respective penalty areas. France took their chances and England didn’t.
There had been so much talk before the game about whether England would cope with the flyer Kylian Mbappe. But it was Giroud and Griezmann who troubled Gareth Southgate’s defence and it was fitting that it was their combination that won this gripping quarter-final.
Olivier Giroud scored the winner for France to send them to the semi-finals of the World Cup
All the talk was on how England stop Kylian Mbappe (left) but it was match-winner Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann (right) who Gareth Southgate's defenders struggled to handle
Griezmann set up Giroud who got ahead of Harry Maguire (left) to head home the winner
No blame can be attached to England or indeed their four man defence. They were beaten narrowly by the defending champions and as such it is a dignified exit.
Harry Kane’s missed penalty will be replayed time and again for as long as anybody cares to remember what happened here. But Giroud is having a superb World Cup. After travelling through the 2018 World Cup without having so much as a shot on target, he has taken the opportunity given him by Karim Benzema’s pre-tournament injury here.
As for England it says everything for the manner in which
