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England have been left out of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Despite boasting a team packed with Premier League talent, the Young Lions have fallen back into disappointment in a major tournament by withdrawing from the group stage.
And it happened in heartbreaking circumstances with England coming within minutes of the knockout stages when they led Croatia 2-0 at the 90-minute mark on Wednesday night.
England eliminated by a wonder goal
However, after defeats to Switzerland and Portugal in their first two games, England were well aware that another goal from Croatia would be enough to pack their bags.
And that is exactly what happened just seconds after injury time when Domagoj Bradarić scored an absolutely wonderful goal from the edge of the penalty area.
There could have been ten Aaron Ramsdales between England’s sticks and there still wouldn’t have been a chance in hell that Bradarić’s punch would have been nested anywhere other than the net.
As such, there was clear anguish among the England U21 players who collapsed to the ground moments before their disappointment was compounded by the final whistle.
Curtis Jones livid in FT
However, while England’s fate could have been sealed by the referee’s signal, the game’s narrative by no means ended late in the game with spirits alight on the pitch.
And while there were more than a few England players venting their frustrations at the Croatia celebration, Curtis Jones seemed by far the most outraged at the Bonifika Stadium.
That’s because the Liverpool star, who brilliantly scored England’s second goal of the night, was spotted by England staff after taking on a Croatian player.
Worrisome scenes in FT
As of this writing, the cause of the fight remains unknown and claims that Jones received a second yellow card for the incident are unconfirmed.
But it’s clear that something angered the 20-year-old because he seemed hell-bent on going with the Croatia players even as his staff and colleagues were trying to stop him.
However, while we await more information on the fight, we cannot escape the fact that England’s departure is the latest disappointment for a Young Lions team that should be accomplishing much more.
Furthermore, the back-to-back group stage departures fall far short of expectations surrounding England’s future, and raise serious questions about Aidy Boothroyd’s suitability for the position.
It remains to be seen where the Young Lions go from here, but something has to give when England cannot turn their vast wealth of talent into the results by which the entire sport is judged.
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