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So, in the event, it’s not coming home after all.
Ushering in more years of hurt, England lost in the World Cup semi-final 2-1 to Croatia during a dramatic, gripping, hair-tearing-out 120 minutes of football.
Yet in contrast to the anger that typically greets the English national team’s departure from a major tournament, the country appears to have embraced the young side in unprecedented fashion.
If you can bear it, here’s how the game played on social media.
Before the game, nerves in the tunnel and a nation united if a bit tense. 

Lucky socks ✔ Lucky Pants ✔ Same England Shirt ✔ Same route to work ✔ Same lunch as last time ✔ Same pub tonight ✔ This is not groundhog day.... this is planning and preparation #itscomimghome#CROENG— Steve Button (@berti1976) July 11, 2018

[Joe Hart races into the tunnel, no accreditation, security giving chase]FUCKING HEADS ON BOYS START EARLY EH— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) July 11, 2018

Government: put out all your bad news... now. #ENGCRO— Jennifer Williams (@JenWilliamsMEN) July 11, 2018

It didn’t take long for England to take the lead with a stunning Trippier free-kick.

IT'S ONLY FUCKING COME HOME.— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) July 11, 2018

Trippier to take https://t.co/KwaUK3fKW1— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) July 11, 2018

But I still see that tackle by Moore and when Trippier scored...— Chris Addison (@mrchrisaddison) July 11, 2018

🙌 Five minutes played & limbs are everywhere. #ENGCROpic.twitter.com/fws2UcZcpd— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) July 11, 2018

The beer throwing is on another level in Croydon tonight #CROENG (via @BoxparkCroydon) pic.twitter.com/RlFUJlaQAN— Planet Fútbol (@si_soccer) July 11, 2018

Oh man, Hyde Park.

England fans in Hyde Park waste about $10,000 in beer on team’s first goal against Croatia pic.twitter.com/lfCxGZfqNW— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 11, 2018

Throwing beer in Hyde Park? I'm very excited but steady on, it's about £8 a pint #EngCro— Olly Lock (@Camelno5) July 11, 2018

Time for some proper analysis.
 

Dream start for #eng. Silly challenge by Modric on Alli. Up steps Trippier. All that practice as a kid and as a pro with dead-ball work, practising with Steve Ayre at City and Christian Eriksen at Spurs, pays off for Trippier, perfect free-kick, clearing the wall, beating Subasic— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 11, 2018

Maybe the real World Cup was the friends we made along the way.

Seriously, we’re all sat here watching the game like we’ve been friends for years. Meant to meet my friends in the pub for the second half but feel like I should stay loyal to this lot 😂 #ENGCRO— Amy Packham (@amypackham15) July 11, 2018

And over to the Bish.

Come on England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 We are rooting for You! 1:0 is good and we are hungry for more quite soon!— John Sentamu (@JohnSentamu) July 11, 2018

Kane misses, proving he’s human.

JESUS CHRIST!Chance for Kane but he misses!F*cking told you he was a three season and a one-half-of-a-World Cup wonder.— Paddy Power (@paddypower) July 11, 2018

They can't believe Harry Kane missed.#ENGCROpic.twitter.com/OUL0YaWWWx— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 11, 2018

And the Jordan Pickford love-in continues as he produces more wonder saves. 

Jordan Pickford is my beautiful large adult son#ENGCRO#WorldCup— Rob Fuller (@robfuller91) July 11, 2018

jordan pickford could probably save my mum and dads marriage after them being split for 9 years. what a legend #ENGCRO— hann. (@shortasshan) July 11, 2018

Pickford 💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/zfFfUd7q40— Owen Jones🌹 (@OwenJones84) July 11, 2018

And more new heroes.

This Toe. This Tackle. The tiny margins that separate glory and despair. One of greatest tackles you will see under the crucible of pressure pic.twitter.com/sJM0KtmvG4— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) July 11, 2018

A sweaty second half sees raid-after-raid on the England goal. Kyle Walker putting everything on the line.

Why does time in football game pass so quickly when you’re losing, yet so slowly when you’re winning. Agony.— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 11, 2018

Kyle Walker’s balls were crushed.. But he still got up and cleared for England. A legend is born.— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) July 11, 2018

And then - oh bollocks - Croatia equalise.

Clever from Croatia, rope-a-doping England by crossing abysmally for 67 minutes.— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) July 11, 2018

current mood: #ENGCROpic.twitter.com/ss3Lao9VLJ— BBC Three (@bbcthree) July 11, 2018

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1017128454356160512

Same. #ENGpic.twitter.com/ADDsaUPMIG— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) July 11, 2018

Christ, I hope this isn't football changing its mind about coming home...#ENGCROpic.twitter.com/dRdhRZRKis— David Schneider (@davidschneider) July 11, 2018

That man Pickford again.

Lord Pickford of Goalmouth— Al Murray, Dr (@almurray) July 11, 2018

jordan pickford screaming 'FUCK SAKE' is my mood right now #ENGCRO— parris 🏳️‍🌈 (@supernovalester) July 11, 2018

Extra-time. Breathe.

OK.Breathe.Regroup.Go again.We will prevail. #ENGCRO— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) July 11, 2018

Trying to remain calm.— Tom Watson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@tom_watson) July 11, 2018

pic.twitter.com/363QnRVEKE— David Mack (@davidmackau) July 11, 2018

Jesus #ENGCROpic.twitter.com/vHTRAqyEJm— Otto English (@Otto_English) July 11, 2018

Stick together.#threelionspic.twitter.com/awJ0Fe3HA3— England (@England) July 11, 2018

England is like an ex that persuaded you to have a drink with them to talk things through and argh god they’re actually really lovely aren’t they? So funny, and you always had so much in common, maybe you were wrong about them....WAIT, THEY HAVEN’T CHANGED AT ALL— Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) July 11, 2018

Pickford guarantees his knighthood with a vital save before the end of the first period.

Jordan Pickford tonight: pic.twitter.com/HSOqttYdGN— Paddy Power (@paddypower) July 11, 2018

I don’t think I could love Jordan Pickford any more than I do now— Mark Ferguson (@Markfergusonuk) July 11, 2018

Oh no ... Mario Mandzukic scores.
 

:-(— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 11, 2018

Mario Mandzukic is a proper, Grade A big game player.— Rory Smith (@RorySmith) July 11, 2018

Incidentally, for those of you for whom this is the first taste of watching football, why not pick a club team to support? It’s like this, but usually worse.— Ed Morrish (@edmorrish) July 11, 2018

And, in time, the dream was over.

Utterly choked, but this young side gave absolutely everything. It’s a huge step forward and they’ll only get better in the future. They can hold their heads high, they did our country proud. Congratulations to Croatia.— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 11, 2018

Alexa, cancel my birthday.— Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) July 11, 2018

You know what ? Football did come home - brought us together, made us proud, gave us something to cheer 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿— Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) July 11, 2018

It’s time for the John Lewis ad sad accoustic version of Three Lions— Janine Gibson (@janinegibson) July 11, 2018

pic.twitter.com/ZJlrWx3T56— Ido 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Vock (@idvck) July 11, 2018

And the It’s Coming Home boys?

Thanks to the England team, and manager, for giving us this beautiful World Cup run. It’s been a ride.— David Baddiel (@Baddiel) July 11, 2018

See you at the Euros ...