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England made their first World Cup semifinal in 28 years with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sweden in Samara. Goals in either half from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli ensured a comfortable evening for Gareth Southgate's troops, against a Sweden side that had its moments, but couldn't take full advantage of it.
After a drab start to the match, which could have easily put the average viewer to sleep, England's biggest strength popped up, as they scored off a set-piece when Ashley Young's corner was met by the strong leap of Maguire to give Robin Olsen no chance in the Sweden goal.
In the second half, England scored a rare goal from open play, as Jesse Lingard's far-post cross was easily headed past Olsen by the unmarked Alli.
Jordan Pickford made a handful of outstanding saves in the second half to preserve England's clean sheet, and ensure that England fans had yet more joy in this rare summer for the national team.
Here are 5 big takeaways from the game.
#5 England's set-piece power
There's one thing to have as many tall men in the box as England do, but another thing to use it to your advantage in dead-ball scenarios. John Stones, Maguire, Harry Kane and Jordan Henderson are all over six-feet tall, and Southgate has ensured England have a plan to utilise that to the fullest.
Perhaps the most important of those plans have been lying in the right feet of Kieran Trippier and Ashley Young. Almost every set-piece delivery was put into an area that tested Andreas Granqvist and the Swedish defence, especially with men of that size attacking it.
Maguire seems to win every header that comes his way, and the most obvious of England's plans has been to isolate the big Leicester man with an opposition defender at the back-post and allow him to work it back into a more dangerous area.
They went slightly off that plan for the goal, as Maguire attacked the centre of the box, and rose well above Emil Forsberg to thump his country into the lead.
England have gotten stick through this tournament for being over-reliant on set-pieces, but Southgate would not care. They're getting so much joy from dead-ball situations, and that will not be expected to change in the remaining games they have in this tournament.
#4 Sweden's strength lets them down
From the qualifying campaign, this Swedish side has been built on a solid defence and has been a side that has struggled for goals - as exemplified by Marcus Berg having 17 shots on target at this tournament without scoring.
But on this occasion, their biggest friend let them down. They were dealt a blow even before the game, with the suspension of Mikael Lustig, but they would have expected to defend much better than they did.
They would have obviously come into the game, knowing that England's biggest strength was their prowess from set-pieces, and yet they allowed themselves to be bullied in the box. It didn't help Sweden that they set up zonally on set-pieces, allowing room for England's big boys to make runs on to the ball.
Lustig's replacement Emil Krafth didn't cover himself in too much glory either. His defending for the second goal was questionable, to put it mildly. Alli shouldn't have had that easy a run on Lingard's cross for the goal.
#3 England show they aren't over-reliant on Harry Kane
Once again, England didn't create much from open play, but this game was always going to pan out this way, given the well-drilled Swedish defence.
But the tournament's top scorer and England's captain would have hoped to be much more involved than he eventually was in this game.
Kane was a peripheral figure throughout the 90 minutes, not that it was for want of trying. Whenever England tried to go long to him, he was dealt with easily by Granqvist and Victor Lindelof, and when they had the ball on the floor, they couldn't find him too often.
Lingard's running from midfield and Raheem Sterling's intelligence of movement proved to be able threats for England throughout the game, and Kane might yet have had a big chance in this game, had Sterling made a better decision late in the first half.
After being sent through on goal by Henderson, Sterling went around the 'keeper and then fluffed his lines, when a simple cut-back to the captain would've resulted in England going into the break with a two-goal cushion.
Yet, England have reason to be pleased. Kane was virtually a bystander throughout the game and yet, they managed to come out of it with two goals
#2 Arise, Jordan Pickford!
After the group stages, there were still question-marks over whether Jordan Pickford should be starting in the England goal ahead of Jack Butland. In the two knockout games, the Everton man has emphatically given an answer to those questions.
After a heroic night against Colombia in the penalty shootout, Pickford was a mere spectator throughout the first half, as Sweden failed to muster a shot on target, but in the second half, he was called into action a lot more and made three outstanding saves.
The first was off a Marcus Berg header from an Emil Forsberg cross. Berg had isolated himself with Ashley Young on the far-post and easily beat the wing-back and unleashed a header towards the bottom left corner, but Pickford sprung himself and got a strong left hand on it to paw it away.
The second one was an even better save. Berg brought down a cross from the left wing, and swivelled, before unleashing a fierce strike at goal, but Pickford stayed tall and rose to get a finger-tip on the shot and tip it over the goal.
John Guidetti should have scored late on to give the Swedes hope, but Pickford was having none of it, as he quickly got across his goal to get a strong hand on the shot.
Pickford's stock has risen throughout this tournament, and it is well-earned, with two strong performances in two of the biggest games of his life.
#1 Could it be going home?
England fans already think so. Opposition fans dread the very notion of those three much-famed words, now. But England are in a World Cup semifinal. You have got to be putting them down as serious contenders to win the entire damn thing now, don't you?
There is no question that Southgate will not be thinking of all that, at this point. He has reiterated throughout the course of the tournament that his sole focus has been on the next game alone, but it is going to be difficult to do that now, with the prize actually so close.
England will do well to not be over-awed by any occasion, and just continue playing the way they have. Yes, they haven't scored a lot from open play. Yes, they have the much easier side of the draw. Yes, their defence hasn't been hugely tested. But they know their strengths.
They stay dogged, they stay together, and they're strong on set-pieces, which has been a sort of an Achilles heel for a few teams at this tournament.
Football may or may not be coming home for England this summer, but one thing's for sure. Gareth Southgate and his young squad have given England a reason to be proud of their men's national team, after a very very long time.
Do you think England have what it takes to win the World Cup? Tell us in the comments below!
