Heartbreak, big cheers and even bigger company — England vs Argentina at The Loxley

Affinity members gathered at The Loxley, one of Nottingham's best-known sports bars, for one of the biggest nights of the summer — England vs Argentina in the World Cup semi-final.

We'd reserved our own raised area just off the bar, giving the group the perfect spot to settle in, grab a drink and get to know each other before kick-off.

The place was buzzing when people were arriving at 7:30pm. By 8:00pm our corner was full of nervous energy and ready for the big one.

It was tense and cagey early on, both sides feeling their way in, and every tackle and half-chance had us on the edge of our seats. When Anthony Gordon fired England in front just before the hour mark, the place erupted! It really did feel like it might be England's night.

Then came the twist you always half-dread against Argentina. With Lionel Messi pulling the strings, Enzo Fernández levelled it with five minutes to go, and just as we were bracing for extra time, Lautaro Martínez broke English hearts deep into stoppage time to make it 2-1.

Full time: England 1, Argentina 2. Not the result any of us wanted and Argentina march on to the final while England regroup for the third-place play-off. But, the night itself was everything these evenings are about. The highs, the agony and the whole rollercoaster, all shared together in brilliant company.

Between the football there was plenty of chat, plenty of laughs and that easy, friendly atmosphere that makes Affinity nights so enjoyable.

A big thank you to everyone who came along and threw themselves into it, and to Claire for hosting so warmly and making sure nobody felt left out.

Whatever the scoreline, meeting new people, sharing great moments and creating memories is what it's all about and there was plenty of that to go round.

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