England's exit from the World Cup on July 11 must have been a huge disappointment to many people in Malaysia who are huge football fans. When only one step away from reaching the final, England were found wanting. They had two shots in total on target, compared to seven by Croatia. Basically, England spent too much of the game trying to not let goals in, instead of scoring them, which is rather the point of the game.
Nevertheless, English fans applauded their team after the final whistle. What they recognised was the bigger picture, that this young England team has exceeded expectations and sent a signal that the nation is now on par with the best in the world, even if they struggle to beat them.