England ratings and analysis: Harry Kane and Jordan Pickford lead Gareth Southgate's heroes
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Updated 04/07/2018 at 06:53 GMT
We bask in the glory of England's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Colombia in the last 16 of the World Cup, recognising some truly heroic performances.
England players (l-r Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, John Stones, Jamie Vardy) celebrate after Eric Dier of England scores the winning penalty during the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Round of 16 match between Colombia and England at Spartak Stadium on July 3,
Image credit: Eurosport
THE FORMATION
England again looked solid at the back in the main, besides Yerry Mina's equaliser. Raheem Sterling was a persistent threat playing on the final shoulder alongside Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson's energy was crucial to the midfield functioning without a fit Dele Alli.
What is perhaps most crucial is Gareth Southgate has nothing to change ahead of the quarter-final with Sweden with his side as settled as they possibly can be.
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England's team players celebrate after winning at the end of to the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Colombia and England at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on July 3, 2018.
Image credit: Getty Images
THE VERDICT ON SOUTHGATE
How can you possibly fault Gareth Southgate after taking his team through to the quarter-finals - and via a penalty shootout at that.
He has instilled an incredible belief in his players, something which was abundantly clear in the penalty shootout and goes beyond bold selections. His faith in Alli was not rewarded due to his lack of sharpness after recovering from injury, but bringing on shootout heroes Marcus Rashford and Eric Dier proved to be inspired calls.
PLAYER RATINGS
Jordan Pickford - 9 - Made one phenomenal save late in the second half, excelling when called upon. Then that incredible save in the penalty shootout to tee up England's victory - heroic.
Kieran Trippier - 8 - Typically precise and threatening from set pieces. Looked shaky defensively for the first time in the tournament, but more than made up for that with his penalty.
Kyle Walker - 6 - Cramped up badly in extra-time and struggled through, much to his credit. Was up-and-down throughout the match in a display that was incredibly difficult to rate.
John Stones - 6 - Looked uncharacteristically hesitant on the ball and provided a few scares for England fans with his marking.
Harry Maguire - 7 - Was typically dominant in the air at both ends of the field and did little wrong defensively. His comical dive can be forgiven with his overall play superb.
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England players celebrate beating Colombia
Image credit: Getty Images
Ashley Young - 6 - Did little wrong, but was not able to give England much width down the left or provide a threat. Sustained an injury in extra-time.
Jesse Lingard - 5 - A surprisingly quiet match from Lingard who struggled to assert himself in forward areas while being fairly anonymous in the middle.
Dele Alli - 5 - Looked off the pace after recovering from his thigh injury and did not manage to demonstrate any of his class or creativity in the final third.
Jordan Henderson - 8 - Showed an incredible engine to get around the pitch while being effective at both ends of the field. Was immense throughout and can certainly be forgiven his penalty miss.
Raheem Sterling - 7 - Put in a tireless shift as England's first line of defence and was a constant threat on the final shoulder, albeit without providing the cutting edge.
Harry Kane - 8 - Ice cool under pressure yet again when it really mattered, scoring England's penalty in the face of outrageous goading and spot-scuffing from the Colombia players, then leading from the front with the first in the shootout.
SUBS
Eric Dier - 6 - Incredibly sloppy in possession after coming on and not able to give England the energy and verve they needed in midfield while missing a free header to clinch victory. BUT his rating of four was upgraded to a six as a result of his match-winning penalty.
Jamie Vardy - 6 - Did not manage to spark anything from the bench, but was mostly isolated without service or support in extra-time.
Danny Rose - 6 - Perfectly solid but did not have a chance to contribute anything besides fresh legs down the left, which were badly needed after Young's injury.
Marcus Rashford - 7 - Brought on too late to make much of an impact in extra-time, but his wonderful swagger in the shootout and superb penalty meant he actually contributed a great deal.
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England's midfielder Jesse Lingard (L) and England's defender Danny Rose celebrate after winning the penalty shootout at the end of the Russia 2018 World Cup round of 16 football match between Colombia and England at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow
Image credit: Getty Images
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