England wants their World Cup and Harry Kane wants his Ballon d'Or. In Dallas, against a Croatia that couldn't keep them on edge for 90 minutes, both things became clear. This Tuchel selection is ambitious, plays vertically, and in a realm that the Bayern Munich striker handles perfectly. There has been a generational change, but Kane arrives in his maturity to push his country, the European runner-up two years ago, beyond what those semifinals in Russia 2018 achieved.
England didn't hesitate to take the lead against Croatia. Tuchel needed the team to unleash from the start to quell a tense atmosphere that has had them in the spotlight for weeks. Leaving Bukayo Saka on the bench again twisted the gesture to the British fans who filled the stands of the Dallas stadium. Croatia welcomed them by nipping at their heels with high pressure that suffocated them, but they knew how to handle it. Kane was essential in that unlocking and scoring task.
Uncontested, he knows when to drag defenders or when to appear in the box. That's why the first play in which he entered the danger zone was a penalty. Modric had prevented Madueke's shot with a kick, and Clément Turpin, without VAR, pointed to the penalty spot. The first shot was saved by Livakovic, but he advanced his feet off the line, and Kane, England's captain and beacon, repeated the shot to become the player in World Cup history with the most penalties scored, five in total.
England began to loosen up and feel comfortable, even with Bellingham entering the field because Kane had taken command. He made a long pass to Madueke to aim for the goal, but the Arsenal winger kept closing in until the 19-year-old Croatian center-back Vuskovic snatched the ball from him. His task multiplied after the hydration break when Dalic instructed him to stick to Kane, who had become undetectable and was controlling the game.
Nevertheless, the captain of the Three Lions continued to show his invisibility skill and, with a recovery in the central circle, set Bellingham on course towards the area before getting tangled up in cuts. While the Real Madrid player struggled to get going, the Bayern Munich striker wanted more. The top European scorer knows that his Ballon d'Or candidacy depends on his performance in this tournament. Dalic was the first to notice and sent Vuskovic to shadow him, even up to the midfield if necessary.
Croatia managed to equalize after half an hour by disconnecting England for a while. Vuskovic was so close to the area that he could steal the ball, pass to Sucic on the right side, who, with a waist movement, outplayed Stones and set up the goal for Baturina. Croatia had found the gap in the English left lane and had managed to confuse Tuchel's team.
Before halftime, the issue was resolved by none other than Harry Kane. A corner kick by Declan Rice was headed in by Kane arriving alone from behind to increase the score. He continued to seek a hat-trick to join the top scorers' battle involving Mbappé, Haaland, and Messi. The match was still open.
England had a dangerous central free-kick, and Croatia had a shot from Mario Pasalic, who played a ball into the area for Perisic, who set up Musa to equalize just before halftime. With that scare, England returned from the break with an extra gear that allowed them to dominate in intensity.
Not that Modric's team, who was substituted in the 56th minute, didn't create chances, but England imposed their physical prowess until it reflected on the scoreboard. Bellingham appeared to share the glory with his captain. Anderson found him on the right flank and sent him on a run that Jude finished with a shot that hit the post and surprised Livakovic. Immediately after, the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper had to make a close-range save from another shot by the Real Madrid player, who was more engaged than before.
The City full-back O'Reilly joined the frenzy, heading Rice's corner kick onto the side netting. As the second English captain couldn't be left without a chance, he forced another great save from the goalkeeper. A storm had unleashed in Dallas where only Livakovic stood firm, continuously stopping shots from the British players because Kane wanted his third goal.
Despite the changes, Dalic couldn't shake off his team's dominance until the 75th minute. The score still allowed for thoughts of an equalizer, and Mario Pasalic had a chance, forcing Pickford to intervene. Little changed then, as Livakovic again stopped Spence, and despite the carousel of substitutions shaking up the match and England gritting their teeth, everything fell back into place when Rashford entered the box from the number 10 lane, cut inside, and comfortably scored the fourth goal. The former Barcelona player, who showed more than Gordon in the few minutes he had, even toyed with Saka. England stood firm in the most balanced match of this World Cup's first round.