England's World Cup dream is over. They had their chances to get a result against France this evening in their World Cup quarter-final, but they failed to make the opportunities count when they came their way.
Two penalties, but only one of them scored. That will ultimately be the story of the game.
Harry Kane scored his first attempt from the spot, but the second was a very different outcome. He blasted it over the bar and with it went England's chances of advancing.
🏴1-2🇫🇷
Harry Kane blazes over from the penalty spot!
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England were mentally broken from that moment and never really looked like threatening an equaliser.
In the end, France deserved the victory.
Roy Keane sums up England's World Cup exit
You can say that England were perhaps unfortunate to go out in such a manner, but that is the nature of top level sport.
The truth of the matter is that this team has repeatedly crumbled when the pressure is on. They took advantage of favourable draws in the last two tournament but lost to the first decent sides that they played.
This evening, they could not get the job done against a France side that were well short of their best.
Speaking on ITV after the game, Roy Keane summed up why England can't go away feeling sorry for themselves.
Just a reminder, top level sport is brutal. Absolutely brutal.
I have to say, I thought England were outstanding. They recovered well and were the better team.
What you have to give France credit for is they found a way to win. They weren't at their best, but they found a way to win it. That's what it's all about, we've seen that over the last day or two. It's tough on England...
You've got to give the French credit. We're at the game and we feel it, the game was there for the taking. You've got to find a way to win. France found a way to win, that's why they're the champions.
France looked gone physically and mentally...
The last thing you want to hear when you're in a dressing room is someone saying 'lads you played really well', it's no good to you. You've got to win these games, even if it's ugly like France did.
That's top level sport. That will be no consolation to the England players.
You can say England were unlucky, but there is no doubt that this is a trend that has been developing. There is a mental block in this group, one that has stopped them from getting over the line at the business end of tournaments.
Perhaps that will come in the future, but as Roy Keane points out, champions can pull it out of the fire in games like this one.
England are lacking that at the moment.
SEE ALSO: ITV Commentary Was Incredibly Biased To England In Defeat To France
