Winning a dramatic penalty shootout, England won a ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup

Eric Dier beat David Ospina in the final penalty shootout. Photo:FIFA

The joy of the English players after the penalty shootout. Photo:FIFA

Eric Dier made English football history when he successfully scored the final penalty to send the "Three Lions" into the quarter-finals. This was the first time the English had tasted victory in a World Cup penalty shootout, after three painful defeats against West Germany (1990 semi-finals), Argentina (1998 round of 16) and Portugal (2006 quarter-finals).

Before that, England had a chance to end the match early thanks to a goal by Harry Kane. The England captain won a penalty and successfully converted it early in the second half. In a solid defense, coach Southgate's team did not expect to concede a goal in the extra minutes. Center back Yerry Mina jumped high to head Colombia back into the game.

During the extra time, chances were few and far between for both teams. Colombia looked confident going into the shootout while history was not on England's side. It looked like that would happen again as Jordan Henderson's shot missed, handing the game-winning decision to Colombia. However, Mateus Uribe's strike hit the crossbar and Pickford's brilliant save from Carlos Bacca ended England's long streak of bad luck in the shootout.

This victory puts England into the quarter-finals against Sweden on July 7. The foggy country team has reached this round for the first time in 12 years and can go further as the opponents in the group are not too superior.

Harry Kane proved his captaincy qualities with his sixth goal of the 2018 World Cup and converted it successfully in the penalty shootout. Photo:FIFA

Colombia received bad news right before the match when their biggest star, James Rodriguez, was absent due to injury. Without a player of Rodriguez's caliber to counterbalance, the South American representative played poorly for most of the first half. England had more possession and created dangerous chances with Harry Kane's header going over the bar. This was also the most notable situation in the first half when both teams focused on safety.

In a tense match, the turning point came unexpectedly when Harry Kane fell in the 16m50 area. The referee determined that Carlos Sanchez had pulled the England captain and pointed to the penalty spot. This was the second time in this year's tournament that Sanchez had made things difficult for Colombia, having received a red card and created a penalty in the opening match against Japan.

Harry Kane did not miss the chance to score his sixth goal of the 2018 World Cup, half of which came from the 11-meter mark. Coach Southgate proactively let his students play defensively after taking the lead and lurking for a counter-attack. England's slump allowed Colombia to attack, but did not show the necessary breakthrough.

Yerry Mina's goal gives Colombia hope. Photo:FIFA

Colombia's deadlock changed in the final seconds. Mateus Uribe volleyed from 35 meters, forcing Jordan Pickford to dive for the first time in the match. In the ensuing corner, the England goalkeeper had to pick the ball out of the net after a header from centre-back Yerry Mina hit the ground. It was the centre-back's third goal of the 2018 World Cup, all from headers, a feat he achieved for the first time since Miroslav Klose 16 years ago.

The goal from the Barca midfielder gave the South American team hope of a comeback. Colombia came back to dominate England in the first half of extra time, but neither team's strikers could overcome a focused defense. Falcao's two headers showed that the World Cup's fighting spirit could be the last in the 32-year-old's career.

England qualified but their attacking system has fans worried. Harry Kane looked isolated and often had to drop deep to receive the ball because he did not receive the necessary support from his satellites Dele Alli, Sterling and Jesse Lingard. The appearance of the duo Marcus Rashford and Jamie Vardy from the bench brought much more speed and elegance. This could be a viable option for England in the upcoming matches.