For the third knockout game in a row, the latest being the semifinal against the Netherlands, England has pulled a rabbit out of the hat to keep the dream alive. It’s a remarkable achievement done in a near-unremarkable manner. Like that unfunny guy at the party who held his own into the night.
The Three Lions are far from being the best team in this tournament; their football has been attritional, have kept things safe with their passing and have frankly been dire, at times.
But it has had some of the best match-defining moments to carry it into another final. In all three of its knockout matches, England has been a goal down but has somehow found a way. And in tournament football, that might just do the job.