England 4-2 Croatia (Kane 12′ pen, 42′, Bellingham 47′, Rashford 85′ | Baturina 36′, Musa 45+4′)
Many of us had England down as a multitude of things pre-tournament. Resolute? Underachievers? Thomas Tuchel’s left-field squad to prove their undoing?
Very few had them as tournament entertainers. Croatia’s “olden generation” just did not see it coming.
There were plenty of questions raised from a thrilling opening victory, not least how porous England were at times in Dallas. Especially post hydration break.
In a tournament of plentiful shocks so far, however, blowing the 11th best team in the world away like this to put themselves on course to top their group is a start even less could have imagined.
Kane is off to a flier at this World Cup (Photo: Getty)What a scene. Size matters in America and nowhere adheres to their penchant for the gargantuan more than Dallas’ AT&T Stadium. When asked by The i Paper what was the inspiration behind the state-of-the-art super dome, the architect said “the Pyramids”.
The big screen that hovers over the pitch is larger than most Premier League stadiums. It made for a memorable spectacle for all those fortunate, and wealthy, enough to be inside the air-conditioned behemoth.
The spectacle was more than befitting of the grand surroundings. In a lightning start, Kane’s World Cup looked like it had got off to the most demoralising of starts as, after England were awarded a penalty just nine minutes in, a stuttered run-up failed to fool Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from 12 yards. Encroachment from Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol gave Kane a second chance, and he made no mistake.
Loud boos rung around the stadium as the increasingly unpopular hydration break – very much not needed in the cooled stadium – stemmed England’s flow. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders were always going to get their moment in these parts.
A superb Martin Baturina strike pegged England back, but England’s talisman just cannot be curtailed. His header late in the first half takes him level with Gary Lineker for World Cup goals. He won’t be on equal terms for long.
A leaky rearguard was again breached all too easily, however, as Petar Musa levelled on the cusp of the interval. Kane aside, England offered up more questions than answers for Thomas Tuchel in their opening 45 minutes of action.
The second half was one-way traffic until, once again, the break in play, this time for a hearty rendition of The Killers’ Mr Brightside, stopped England in their tracks.
Jude Bellingham’s superb run and finish just after restart, aided by a Croatia backline that parted like the Red Sea, edged England back in front, but Tuchel’s entertainers were not done there, wasting a host of gilt-edged chances to put the game out of reach.
Nico O’Reilly wasted the best of them, glancing a header from point-blank range wide, while Livakovic produced a sensational three successive stops to keep a rampant England at bay.
After the post-Brandon Flowers restart, England again retreated into their shell a little, inviting pressure from Croatia onto them. Jordan Pickford never quite looked comfortable under such stress.
Marcus Rashford’s calmest head in the house was needed to seal a superb start to the tournament that takes England into dangerous territory – raised expectations.
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Analysis: I got England’s £120m ‘gem’ wrong – so did Newcastle and Joey Barton Feature: The night in a car park where Thomas Tuchel ‘fell in love’ with EnglandNo other nation has looked this willing to attack and thrill in equal measure. The age-old World Cup adage is that the best defences win major tournaments. No manager has ever won the showpiece event who was not a native of the country they were representing either.
Perhaps it may be time for a change. England can now go into two very winnable games against Ghana and Panama and fill their boots even more.
Shoring things up at the back might be needed later on, but let’s not look at the negatives. That was fun. Words not always uttered when talking about watching England.
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