Stones: We forget very quickly how proud we should be of what we have done

John Stones sincerely believed that this England team was capable of winning the World Cup, but dreams of a trophy were shattered after a dramatic defeat by the reigning champions, the Argentina team. Thomas Tuchel's side were moments away from becoming the first England men's team to reach the final of the World Cup since Sir Alf Ramsey's triumph in 1966. However, the outcome of the semi-final was a real shock: five minutes before the end of regular time, Enzo Fernandez responded to Anthony Gordon's second-half goal, and already in stoppage time, Lautaro Martinez, who came as a substitute, struck a knockout blow. The wounds from this defeat are still fresh. Instead of preparing for Sunday's final against Spain, England are forced to switch focus to Saturday's third-place match against France in Miami. 32-year-old John Stones became the main voice of the dressing room after the painful relegation. The defender spoke frankly about the difficult psychological state of the team, without hiding his disappointment. "I think everyone still goes through suffering and pain. As players, we can get pretty hung up on anger or frustration because of personal situations and circumstances during the game," admitted Stones. At the same time, John emphasizes that despite the bitter result, he is immensely proud of his partners and the path they have taken together: "We forget very quickly how we should be proud of what we have done. And I am proud of every person in our camp. The effort, the sacrifices - everything that goes into it, and not only the players - has brought us to this moment. The love, faith and support from home, the fans in the stadium - all these moments and memories have been incredible during this journey," the defender emphasized. For Stones, this tournament became another difficult test after the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, the quarter-finals of the previous World Cup against France and two consecutive losses of the Euro finals. He noted that it was the unquestionable faith in one's own strength that made this defeat so devastating. "We were all on the same path and on the same wave. With the same belief that we can reach the very end and win, and I think everyone felt it. That's why the elimination in the semifinals is even more painful - because we believed so much, but we didn't reach where we thought we should be," the player emphasized. Stones, who left Manchester City at the end of the season, is not looking to end his international career anytime soon. Although it is still difficult for him to analyze the game against the Argentines, he is trying to find new motivation. "My feelings or memories of the game are still so blurry. I'm really in a state of all emotions. After the game, enough time has passed to reflect, to play the scenarios in my head, and it's very easy to say: "What if?" Yes, it's hard to experience or digest right away, it's a brutal situation, but I think everything will become clear once the emotions subside," the defender shares. Despite the disappointment, John Stones sees a clear goal in the upcoming match: "I think that the match against France is another good direction for us to win a bronze medal. This is something that I have not been able to do so far," he summed up. We will remind, earlier