The year is 1996: a so-far uninspiring England side, littered with stars but lacking overall cohesion, has made its way through the Euros, doing just about enough, but little more.
Moments of quality have been sufficient to see England limp over every low bar. A precociously talented national treasure has just scored one of those goals that will be talked about for generations, papering over the cracks of a match England arguably deserved to lose - before celebrating in controversial fashion.
Hopes are high, but something is still missing. Next up are the mighty Dutch: arguably the first serious test the Three Lions have had to face. Sound at all familiar?
Just like Gareth Southgate's semi-finalists this Wednesday, Terry Venables' England faced the Netherlands in Euro 96 with a point to prove, and with doubters to win over.
This was a group stage match, not a semi-final, but there was the same distinct sense that this this would be the match where we would find out what this England team was really made of.
What followed was a result and a performance for the ages, and one that propelled the hopes of a nation irrevocably into the sky.
A performance that would feed a nation's belief
The hosts knew a draw would be enough to see them through to the last 8, but a quick glance at the Dutch lineup was enough to remind them that was no easy task.
Even with Edgar Davids having flown home in disgrace, after a bust-up with manager Gus Hiddink, a midfield of Clarence Seedorf and Ronald De Boer was more than enough to command the respect of any European opponent.
The genius of Dennis Bergkamp was well-known on English shores, not least to his Arsenal teammates, Tony Adams and David Seaman, who would be tasked with spoiling his day.
Danny Blind and Michael Reiziger stood imposingly at the other end – embodying the Dutch ideology of power mixed with panache. Behind them stood a baby giant by the name of Edwin Van Der Sar and floating around the pockets, in the days before ubiquitous YouTube coverage, was a man whose very name struck fear in English hearts: (Jordi) Cruyff - how little we knew.
To a man, virtually every player was a European cup-winner. England had won just one of the previous eight meetings between the sides. The task was simple, a point would see them become quarter-finalists, but even that was going to take everything they had.
England named an unchanged eleven, blending youth with experience, steel with style. All the talk was of whether star striker Alan Shearer could make it three goals in three. Teddy Sheringham had been largely his support act until that point, with many fans still questioning his selection, as Robbie Fowler and Les Ferdinand waited in the wings.
Paul Gascoigne had arrived at the tournament a far cry from the prodigious revelation that had taken Italia 90 by storm. Slightly overweight and sporting a questionable bleached hairdo, he looked more like a guy on his stag than an elite midfield maestro, but he had silenced his critics in the previous match with an iconic wondergoal bursting with technique and arrogance.
England knew they could play, but could they truly blow them away?
The first 20 minutes were cagey, but it was clear neither team had come to Wembley for a draw.
As always, the Dutch brought a hoard of passionate vocal fans, but their efforts were consumed by the incredible sound of the home support. Every time England looked lively, the crowd went up a few more decibels and the players seemed to revel in the noise.
Half-way through the first half, Sheringham released Steve McManaman down the right with a trademark piece of vision. McManaman cut inside to run at the Dutch defence as defenders backed off in fear, before picking out the excellent underlapping run of Paul Ince. Ince took the ball in his stride with a piece of technique that belied his reputation as a thuggish midfield enforcer, guiding it past Blind in one fluid motion with (ironically) something approaching a Cruyff turn. Bamboozled, the veteran defender tripped Ince in the box. Penalty to England!
Alan Shearer struck it powerfully to the right of Van Der Sar. Even the full extent of the young keeper’s 6ft 6 frame, diving the right way, couldn’t get close – 1-0 to England and Shearer had 3 in 3.
As England settled into their advantage, they started to exhibit some of the fluid patterns most associated with the men in orange. Meanwhile the Netherlands were restricted to long balls over the top and kicking the opposition, in a style that was – at the time – rather more English.
By half time, the score remained 1-0. It was a lead England deserved, but not one they were going to take for granted.
Five minutes into the second half, England won a corner. Gascoigne floated the ball into Sheringham, still with plenty to do, who nodded a delicate header into the bottom right corner, before throwing his arms up almost in disbelief as much as joy. England were 2-0 up; that was surprising enough, but what was to follow over the next 10 minutes would be unbelievable.
Just 5 minutes later, Gascoigne met a delicate chipped pass from McManaman with a smart, incisive run, taking the ball cleanly between two Dutch defenders with a beautiful touch and breaking into space with the goal opening up to his right.
In an uncharacteristically selfless moment, he squared the ball with a disguised flick inside to the open Teddy Sheringham. Sheringham went one better, feigning to strike at goal - as he would have had every right to from that position – before instead delightfully laying it off to his right for Shearer in acres of space.
Shearer smashed the ball gratefully into the roof of the Netherlands net, leaving a host of utterly outclassed Dutch defenders scratching their heads in the box.
Minutes later it was 4-0. Darren Anderton, presumably thinking the football gods were on his side, had a pop from range that deflected. Van Der Sar did really well to adjust his body and parry it clear but it was Teddy Sheringham, of all people, who reacted fastest to tuck the rebound into the corner and complete the perfect night.
“It gets better, and better, and better”, bellowed Barry Davies from the commentary gantry as the England players strutted their way to the fans, puffing out their chests and taking in the pandemonium.
The shine might have been slightly taken off England’s evening by a Patrick Kluivert consolation goal, but many English fans even cheered that goal too, as it meant the Netherlands would progress from Group A at Scotland’s expense!
England's performance that evening showed the competition what they could really do when it all clicked – that they were more than a collection of overhyped prima donnas with an annoying but catchy song.
From that moment until the moment Gareth Southgate’s sudden death penalty was saved, the fans never stopped dreaming.
With this week’s semi-final marking the first time the sides have met at a major tournament since that famous Wembley evening, this time with Southgate in the dugout, not the defence – once again, England may have to find their best form and send out a message that they should really be taken seriously.
