England manager, Gareth Southgate, has spoken after his side lost 2-1 to Croatia in their semi-final clash on Wednesday night.The Three Lions were bidding to reach a first World Cup final for 52 years, but saw their hopes ended by Mario Mandzukic’s 109th-minute goal.
Kieran Trippier had given Southgate’s men an early lead, but Ivan Perisic levelled in the second half.
Southgate says the defeat is “difficult” to take, but expects his team to be better for it.
“You see the supporters’ reaction at the end – I can’t ask any more from the players.
“By the end, several players were out on their feet. That shows you everything.
“We have come an incredibly long way in a short period of time. We are probably beyond where we thought we might be able to go. The team will be stronger for that.
“There weren’t clear changes that we thought could change it. There was a period for 20 minutes in the second half where we stopped playing. As we reflect there will be a lot more positives but tonight it is difficult to take.
“The players have to look at the reaction of the supporters. You don’t get that if you haven’t given everything. In the six or seven weeks we’ve been together, we could not have given any more,” he said after the game.
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