In the minutes after England had beaten Croatia, Harry Kane stood at the front of the England players who had gathered at the far end of the AT&T Stadium, where the late afternoon sunlight was streaming in through the windows on the top tiers.
The giant scoreboard, so big that it sometimes felt as if it were obscuring the view of the pitch, announced that Kane had been adjudged man of the match and the England fans massed in that stand began to serenade their captain.
England had started their campaign with a 4-2 win and suddenly, dreams had been unleashed. The same dreams that England dream every tournament, the same dreams that have been dashed for the last 58 years. ‘Jules Rimet still gleaming,’ the England fans yelled and hope reigned eternal.
The strains of Oasis rang out across this modern sporting temple to excess. ‘I don’t believe that anybody feels the way I feel about you now,’ the England fans roared as Kane stood there, ‘…maybe you’re going to be one that saves me.’
Maybe he is going to be the one that saves them. If this display was anything to go by, it certainly won’t be England’s defence that saves them. They call this city Big D but England’s defence was very much Little D on Wednesday afternoon. It will have to improve fast if England are to go deep in this tournament.
If they can fix that they have the firepower to go far. Kane is at the forefront of that. He scored two goals in the first half to raise his total in World Cups to 10 and join Gary Lineker as England’s leading all-time scorer in the tournament.
Harry Kane (left) scored the opening goal for England at the World Cup as they beat Croatia 4-2
Kane scored from the penalty spot but saw his initial effort saved by Dominik Livakovic
However, he made no mistake from the penalty spot after VAR ruled Livakovic was off his line
As you can see from here, the Croatia goalkeeper was in front of the line for Kane’s initial effort
Kane now has a remarkable 81 goals in 115 England appearances and has joined the race for the Golden Boot led by Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. Anything they can do, Kane will be close to emulating. That was the message from England’s skipper here at the AT&T Stadium.
This win was a triumph for Jude Bellingham, too. The build-up to England’s World Cup had been dominated by the debate about him. There was talk about his body language. There was talk about his attitude. People wondered whether he would be a ‘good tourist’. People wondered if he would intimidate his team-mates. Some people found his antics ‘repulsive’, Thomas Tuchel said. And then Tuchel apologised for his choice of vocabulary.
Until recently, perhaps even until the first kick of England’s opening game of this World Cup against Croatia, many felt that Morgan Rogers should start ahead of him in the prized No 10 role. They felt he would be a better team player. They felt that he would just be a better fit.
But Bellingham started this World Cup for England because Bellingham deserved to start this World Cup for England and because Bellingham is the kind of generational talent who cannot just be discarded on a whim. This is a player who has won the Champions League with Real Madrid. This is a player who is a game-changer.
And after all the debate that had surrounded him, Tuchel picked Bellingham in the starting XI and 90 seconds into the second half, Bellingham made all the debate redundant when he did what he does and turned into England’s match-winner, sealing a game in which England had tottered.
It was an auspicious day for Bellingham. By dint of appearing here, he became – at 22 years and 353 days old – the youngest European player to play in four major tournaments and he decorated the landmark with the critical goal, a solo effort that showcased his determination, his single-mindedness, his confidence and his skill.
Bellingham was substituted just before 80 minutes as England tried to stiffen their defending. But it was his goal that separated the two teams although England were also thankful to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford for a fine save from Marco Pasalic deep into the second half for preserving that lead. A late strike from Marcus Rashford sealed a 4-2 win.
If there was much for England to celebrate in the performances of Bellingham and Kane, there was also much to concern them. Tuchel’s team looked desperately vulnerable at the back and if they are vulnerable against Croatia’s Dad’s Army, then they will even more vulnerable against a better side.
Croatia equalised against the run of play through a stunning strike from Martin Baturina
Baturina blasted Croatia level with this right-footed strike that flew past Jordan Pickford
England restored their lead when Kane was unmarked from this Declan Rice corner to score
The Three Lions captain’s downward header bounced into the bottom far corner of the net
Petar Musa drew Croatia level with this fine finish after a brilliant team move before half-time
The 28-year-old celebrates with his team-mates after scoring in an entertaining first half
Quite why Tuchel preferred both Ezri Konsa and John Stones to Marc Guehi in defence remains to be answered but England will have to improve at the back if they are to go deep into the tournament. They were thankful for their forward dynamism here in Texas but they will be dogged by worries at the opposite end of the field.
England have had an uneven recent history with Croatia. There have been some wins but on the biggest occasions, England have fallen short. Most notably, they lost a lead in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup and fell to an extra-time defeat in Moscow. In the list of chances to win the tournament that got away over the last 60 years, that is near the top.
Just as memorably, England lost 3-2 to the Croats at Wembley in November 2007, a defeat which ended their chances of qualifying for Euro 2008 and led to Steve McClaren being labelled ‘the wally with the brolly’ after he sheltered under an umbrella on the touchline during a downpour.
That became a symbol of England’s ineffectuality and of an idea that this was a group that valued style over substance. It was exactly the kind of image Tuchel wanted to avoid. It was why he has placed an emphasis on the team rather than the individual. It was why he appeared to distrust Bellingham, although Bellingham did win the race with Morgan Rogers to start at No 10.
England did not make an impressive opening. They were quickly boxed in by the Croatia press on the edge of their own penalty area and conceded a careless corner. It was swung to the back post where Josip Sutalo met it unmarked at the back post. England were fortunate he could not keep his shot down. It was an escape.
England did not waste any time profiting from it. Eight minutes had gone when Noni Madueke latched on to a loose ball in the Croatia area. Luka Modric swung his right boot at the ball but connected with Madueke’s thigh. It was an obvious penalty.
What followed next was less than obvious. Kane stepped up to take it, took a stuttering run-up and hit the ball towards the bottom left-hand corner. Dominik Livakovic guessed correctly and pushed the ball away. Croatia were ecstatic. Kane’s last penalty at the World Cup, against France in 2022, also ended in failure.
But England protested that Livakovic had left his line when the ball was kicked and it was checked by VAR. There was also a suggestion that Josep Gvardiol had been encroaching. Both offences were marginal but they were offences. The French referee, Clement Turpin, ruled that the kick should be retaken.
Kane did not duck the challenge. Livakovic gambled that Kane would choose the opposite corner this time but Kane out-thought him. He hit the ball in the same corner and England were 1-0 up and fortunate to have the lead.
England responded straight after half-time and regained the lead through Jude Bellingham
The England midfielder celebrates after his goal on 47 minutes in Arlington, Texas
Second-half subsitute Marcus Rashford completed the scoreline for England with a fine finish
After a swift counter-attacking move, Rashford finished into the bottom right-hand corner
They were also the better side. They began to play some assured football as the half wore on and Bellingham nearly doubled their lead after half an hour when Kane played the ball wide to Madueke and Madueke drove an inviting cross into the path of Bellingham’s surging run. Bellingham stretched to apply the finishing touch but could not quite direct it past Livakovic.
England appeared dominant but nine minutes before half time, Croatia levelled the scores. Bellingham and Elliot Anderson lost duels in midfield and when the ball was worked to Petar Sucic, he pulled the ball back to the edge of the area. Martin Baturina met it first time and smashed it toward goal. Jordan Pickford got a hand to it but could only deflect it into the roof of the net.
England were stunned but they did not wilt. Instead, six minutes later they regained the lead. Declan Rice swung in a corner from the England right and Kane rose beautifully to meet it. He guided a precise, powerful header through a forest of defenders and England were 2-1 up. It was Kane’s 10th goal in World Cups, moving him level with Gary Lineker as England’s leading scorer in the tournament.
There were only three minutes left of regular time in the first half. England needed to take their lead into the interval. They couldn’t do it. In the fifth and final minute of time added on, Croatia floated a ball over England’s defence, Ivan Perisic, their old nemesis, nodded an astute header into the path of Petar Musa and he volleyed it past Pickford.
It was a fine goal for Croatia but it was also a grim indictment of England’s defending. They were way too porous, way too easy to pick apart. No one wins a World Cup, or gets close to winning a World Cup, defending like that. It was a sobering first half and England took their time coming out for the second. They looked bedraggled when they emerged.
But it only took them 90 seconds to take the lead again. Anderson clipped a first-time ball down the line and Bellingham ran on to it. Defenders backed off him and he ran in on goal from the right. He hit the ball across Livakovic and it cannoned off the inside of the far post and into the net.
England pressed for a fourth. Rice drove forwards and lashed a shot towards the top corner. Livakovic flung himself at it and pushed it over. Next, Livakovic made a fine reaction save to deny Nico O’Reilly, then he saved the follow-up from Anthony Gordon and smothered a third attempt from Ezri Konsa. He made another double save from Kane. Croatia were being overrun.
They dug in and brought England some nervous moments before Rashford made things safe five minutes from the end with a composed finish after fellow substitute Bukayo Saka’s pass to him.
