The Croatia vs. England semi-final football match will take place today to the surprise of sportscasters around the world. The winner will take on France in the final match of the 2018 World Cup. No T.V.? We’ll also let you know where to catch the World Cup live stream.
Croatia vs. England: When is the Semi-Final Football Match?
Croatia and England will face off at 2pm EST, 9pm local time, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Croatia
Croatia is led by Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, one of the world’s best players. Nevertheless, Croatia making it to the semi-finals has certainly be a surprise development.
While teams like Argentina found themselves relying too heavily on one player, Croatia has demonstrated a balanced team scoring across the tournament, despite being led by international superstar Modric. Midfielder Modric has been supported by Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic on either side. At 6’3 Mario Mandžukić, Croatia’s lead striker, also poses a serious threat to England, especially when it comes to corners and penalty kicks.
Steven Gerrard, the former England captain, said he favors England, but overcoming Croatia will be their greatest challenge yet, “Croatia are a fantastic team. I think they actually possess the best midfielder in the world in the moment in Luka Modric. So it will certainly be a test, and the biggest test so far…”
Croatia won their last two games on penalty kicks, which might leave them tired having played the extra time, but demonstrates the team’s nerves of steel.
England has a long World Cup history, but the Croatian national team was only formed in 1990 after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.
England
England is definitely a surprise semi-finalist. The young team coached by Gareth Southgate has succeeded in becoming the first British team to make it the the semi-finals since 1990. No one expected them to make it to the semi-final, but they’ve been helped by being on the easier side of the bracket.
England hasn’t won World Cup since 1966. British fans have come to expect very little of the national team in big tournaments, but this year’s unexpected victories have revitalized a cynical fanbase. Coach Gareth Southgate has managed to revive the young team, becoming a national hero in the process.
Southgate has said of the young team:
“I think that collective has been key. All of the support staff, all of the players are really tight. We’ve built that and to get through the two games we’ve had this week needed all of that because we’re not the finished article.”
“We don’t have renowned world-class players yet, but lots of good young players who are showing on a world stage that they’re prepared to be brave with the ball, try to play the right way, have shown some mental resilience as well over the last few weeks.”
“We know that in years to come, they are going to be stronger. But today was a huge opportunity for us and it was not something we wanted to miss out on.”
England is led by striker Harry Kane from Tottenham, supported by forward Raheem Sterling, who has yet to score in this World Cup.
Kane is also in the race for the golden boot, the leading scorer of the tournament, with six goals. Kane has managed to score in each game he has played. France’s Kylian Mbappé trails behind Kane with three goals scored.
Facing France
The winner of the Croatia vs. England game with face the unenviable tasks of facing France, easily the most impressive team in the tournament. France is led by teenage sensation Mbappe, who is reminding fans of the great Pele. Both France and England have won the World Cup one time, so they would be competing for their second win. Croatia will be competing for their first win.
Where to Watch the Semi-Final Football Match? Croatia vs. England Live Stream
Nowadays, not everyone has access to a T.V. If you aren’t going to be watching the semi-final football match over a pint with your buddies, you’ll probably be looking to watch the World Cup live stream.
If you do have a T.V. subscription, you can watch the livestream via Fox Sports. Fox Sports has the exclusive rights to the World Cup live stream in the US. You’ll have to login before the game using your login information to your T.V. provider.
Fox Sports might not be the best option because you’ll need a T.V. subscription. Plus, the app has proven to be glitchy. If you try to watch the Fox Sports World Cup live stream on your computer, you’ll have to update your browser AND update Adobe Flash or the live stream won’t play. The Fox Sports website has also been glitchy throughout World Cup.
For Spanish speakers and those outside of the US, the Telemundo World Cup live stream might be the option for you. Although Telemundo provided a free World Cup live stream in the group stage, they will not do the same for the semi-final football match or the final match. You’ll have to download the NBC Sports app or the Telemundo app and have a T.V. subscription to access the live stream.
The WatchESPN app is a third option for watching the World Cup live stream. You will also need to use your T.V. subscription to watch, but you’ll have access to ESPN’s commentary as well.
Youtube T.V. and Hulu T.V. are other options to consider if you don’t have a cable subscription. They will cost money, but significantly less than a cable subscription. While many people will try to pirate the game and follow World Cup live stream links on Reddit or Youtube, these links have not been reliable throughout World Cup. You aren’t going to want to miss a minute of the Croatia vs. England game, so paying for a subscription may be worthwhile.
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