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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
John Jones

France v England media reaction as experts divided over 'better team' amid lost opportunity for Southgate's men

England endured more World Cup agony after a 2-1 loss to France in the quarter-finals. Gareth Southgate's side were among the favourites to lift the trophy in Qatar but were knocked out after Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty in the second-half.

The result is dominating sports pages across the UK and beyond today - here's what the UK-wide media are saying.

Jonathan Liew (The Guardian)

Midnight strikes and the party is over. England crumple to the turf in fragments: one here, a couple over there, one more over by the centre circle. The Al Bayt pitch is a field of broken dreams, of hope and despair, and hope again, and despair again. In the VVIP seats, David Beckham is holding his head in his hands, although for only one of the reasons he should be. Afterwards Gareth Southgate will talk about how close they came, how much these players can still achieve. England are proud. England are defiant. But England are done.

It is of no consolation here to point out that England tried their best, that they had most of the chances and most of the ball, that they came with a plan and largely executed it to the letter. Nor is it any consolation to rehash the usual platitudes about what a great bunch of lads these are. All the above is true. But in the furnace of knockout football all of this only gets you to the finish line. It does not dictate whether anyone gets there before you.

The truth is that England were beaten here by the better team, which is not to say that France played better on the night. The difference here, perhaps, is between wanting and belonging. Between the little wedges of happenstance and self-projection that separate the champion teams from the very good. England won the game of processes, the game that plays out in the mind of a coach on a Friday evening, the game you play when you have no real institutional memory to fall back on. But France won the game of moments, the game of actions rather than intentions. And in a one-off showdown with everything at stake, it is the moments that win you the match.

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport)

England manager Gareth Southgate and his players nursed a familiar sense of missed opportunity as that elusive major tournament triumph escaped them once more.

Watching the post-match scene at the Al Bayt Stadium brought flashbacks - to the World Cup semi-final defeat against Croatia in Moscow in 2018, to the European Championship final loss to Italy at Wembley 16 months ago.

Perhaps this is why it felt different, even more painful, for England this time. A genuine opportunity to win this World Cup had opened up for Southgate's team, an emerging blend of youth and experience.

The old question will be asked as to why England cannot force their way past elite opposition at major tournaments. But on this occasion, at least, there can be no complaints about the approach. Southgate spoke of "fine margins" - and they proved decisive. One team took their chances and the other could not. England had no cause for reproach about their efforts.

Sami Mokbel (Mail on Sunday)

The pain of this loss will linger for some time, particularly for Gareth Southgate. Of course, the players will be heartbroken; they truly believed this was their time.

But they’ll be back at their clubs playing Premier League football before they know it. Their anguish will be cast aside, their focus will shift to the trials and tribulations of the domestic scene.

For Southgate, though, he doesn’t have the opportunity of jumping straight back on the horse. It’ll take time get over this one. But when the dust settles, the agony diminishes and clarity of mind reappears we should all hope that Southgate - the man who transformed the national team from a circus act to a genuine elite footballing nation - finishes the job he has started.

Because how can he walk away from these guys? His guys. This vibrant and attractive England team stood and fought. They went to toe-to-toe with France. They didn’t go into their shell; they seized the moment. They fell short, yes.

Rory Smith (New York Times)

There will, in the days to come, be plenty of recrimination as England picks over the bones of its 2-1 defeat to France on Saturday in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, as it comes to terms with another exit, another disappointment, another few years of hurt. It is, or at least it has become, a natural part of the cycle, a chance for catharsis, collective therapy or just some good, old-fashioned bloodletting, depending on the circumstances.

Once the critiques have subsided, though, once culpability has been assigned and internalized, another emotion will come to the fore. More than anything, England will look back on this game with regret.

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