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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Barney Ronay at the AufSchalke Arena

The Age of Gareth lives on: England’s peaks and troughs lead to Swiss test

England celebrate after Harry Kane headed home their winner in the first minute of stoppage-time to complete a remarkable turnaround.
England celebrate after Harry Kane headed home their winner in the first minute of stoppage-time to complete a remarkable turnaround. Photograph: Patrícia de Melo Moreira/AFP/Getty Images

OK. So you’re saying there’s a chance. With 94 minutes of football already played at a clammy and frazzled AufSchalke Arena, with England 1-0 down against Slovakia and about to exit the European Championship in miserable fashion, with the entire Age of Gareth poised to sink into a toxic farewell, the range of possibilities for the next few seconds seemed fairly stark.

Forty minutes later England would leave the pitch victorious, 2-1 winners of their last-16 tie after extra time, drenched in the sweet, sweet sounds of Sweet Caroline, and ready now for a quarter-final against Switzerland on Saturday.

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