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Modric is at the height of the losers… He can’t seem to keep England’s midfielders at bay
England manager Thomas Tuchel has not said exactly what he said at half-time during England’s 4-2 win over Croatia to open the 2026 World Cup.
With the score tied at 2-2 at half-time and England not playing particularly well, Tuchel claimed he had some quiet words for his team and told them to play bravely, but the truth is probably a little harsher than that.
In any case, whatever Tuchel said worked as England turned a mediocre first half into a crushing second half, scoring two more goals while proving they deserved to be considered among the favorites to win the title.
Harry Kane gave England the lead after Dominik Livakovic’s early penalty was converted, but Croatia made a stunning comeback.
There was much controversy surrounding Tuchel’s decision to drop Mark Guehi in favor of John Stones and Ezri Konza, and those who doubted the decision were proved right when Inter midfielder Petar Socic raced in and Stones was fooled by a tricky move to pass the ball to Martin Baturina, who fired it powerfully into the top corner.
It took just five minutes for England to regain the lead as Arsenal’s Declan Rice took his experience to the international stage, sending a corner straight at the head of Kane, who headed it home. But England couldn’t hold on to their lead as Mario Pasalic sent a ball across the line that dropped too deep, allowing Ivan Perisic to get out from behind and head the ball to Petar Musa, who in turn volleyed into the bottom corner.
England’s response in the second half was impressive. Elliott Anderson, who had been quiet for most of the first half, produced a clever pass down the right flank and Jude Bellingham got around his defender’s mark and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. From then on, Livakovic kept Croatia in the game, making seven saves, many in quick succession before the hour mark.
England settled the match once and for all in the 85th minute when Bukayo Saka crossed the ball to fellow substitute Marcus Rashford, who fired it into the bottom corner.
But this performance was far from perfect. England’s defense looked shaken and there will certainly be some questions raised about their ability to control games, especially with Rice recovering from injury. But the attacking intensity and response in the second half showed that England could be a very dangerous team over the next five weeks, to say the least.
And it’s a quote GOAL website These are the winners and losers of the Battle of Dallas.
Winner: Harry Kane
Kane has not missed a penalty for England since scoring seven in a row against France at the 2022 World Cup. Technically, he made it eight on Wednesday, albeit after the referees gave him a second chance when Livakovic was flagged for stepping off his line before the Bayern Munich striker’s penalty.
Kane’s second strike proved decisive and he followed it up with a classic Kane performance, covering every inch of the pitch in defense and attack, often dropping deep to tie the game and move the team, getting into dangerous areas and inviting some fouls. His chemistry with Noni Madueke was impressive throughout the match and he scored his second goal with equal finesse. Croatia’s defensive coverage was certainly questionable, but Kane headed home anyway, heading the ball into the bottom corner.
As a result, he now has the most goals from penalties in World Cup history, is only the second English player to score in three World Cups and is level with Gary Lineker as England’s top scorer at World Cups, while ensuring he is not far behind in the Golden Boot race.
Loser: Luka Modric
It should be remembered that Luka Modric is just a great football player. He broke the monopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d’Or in 2018 and is considered one of the greatest midfielders ever.
But here he looked at the forty year old. Modric struggled to find his footing from the first minute, conceding an early penalty after falling a second behind in a tight battle with Madueke. Although he completed the vast majority of his passes, Modric never imposed himself on the game.
To be fair, the Croatians were outnumbered in midfield, but there were days when Modric was able to handle such situations. Here he was as he was; an old player who could be outplayed by opponents who were younger and more physically dynamic than him.
Croatia replaced their captain just before the hour mark with Mateo Kovacic, who immediately added more energy. Modric can never be ruled out of the starting lineup, but he certainly can’t carry this team on his shoulders like he used to.
Winner: Jude Bellingham
Despite what has been said about Kane’s skill, Bellingham looks to be the player who will decide the fate of Tuchel and the England squad this summer. If the Real man can score and provide assists from midfield, it will add an extra dimension to the Three Lions.
In fact, Bellingham struggled in the opening minutes of the game, despite consecutive quick bursts. But soon everything changed. A quick run through the middle showed what he could do, even if it was off target, and he scored a deserved goal in the second half.
Anderson, who was also slow to get into the game, sent a ball down the lane and Bellingham ran to it and slotted it in. He stood confidently, arms outstretched, in front of his adoring fans.
He later dropped back a little deeper, moving from No.10 to No.8, and did well there too, working well while allowing Morgan Rodgers to move forward. England fans will be hoping there is more to come.
“At this moment, you can count on Jude,” Tuchel said after the match. “He likes these pressure matches.”
Winner: Tuchel
At the end of the first half, Tuchel was not satisfied. That’s the least fans could infer from his assistant Anthony Barry when he expressed his feelings in an interview. channel ITV during the break.
“We made some decisions without pressure in our minds. We played long balls in situations where we should have played short balls, we played short balls in situations where we should have played long balls, and we didn’t use the spaces effectively, which didn’t allow us to speed up the pace of the game the way we wanted to.”
“From there we made some decisions in which our minds were not free. We played long balls when we should have played short balls, we played short balls when we should have played long balls, and we didn’t use the spaces effectively, which didn’t allow us to speed up the game the way we wanted to. Then you think the penalty will allow us to play more, but more like us. to certain patterns expressing fear.’
“We scored the second goal again. We were hoping that would be the moment to put us ahead in the match, but well, we conceded the second goal later and now we have to discuss it at half-time.
We obviously don’t know what was said at half-time, but Kane spoke about Tuchel’s performance, while Rice felt Tuchel’s words showed why he is a “top coach”. Tuchel himself said that he and his staff were “encouraged to move forward”.
Whatever the German said, it clearly paid off. England played like a completely different team after the break, scoring almost immediately on their return before taking complete control of the game.
Loser. Defense of England
It was always expected that this England team would be able to score goals. It has tremendous attacking power, innovative attacking ideas in the final third of the pitch and a large number of players capable of making a difference. Seating options are also available. It seems highly unlikely that England will fail to score in any of the matches this summer.
But what about the defense? Well, it seems to be a little more fragile, if not quite vague. Tuchel selected a four-man defensive line-up of Rhys James, Konsai, Stones and Nico O’Reilly, none of whom can claim to have performed well in defence.
Stones was completely unmarked as Croatia scored their first goal, Konsa dropped too deep for the second and James chased the shadows. O’Reilly doesn’t have to do much defensive work on a weekly basis with Manchester City, and that was evident here as well.
It is not yet time to sound the alarm. But Tuchel will certainly have to think carefully, both in terms of formation and tactical plan, when it comes to his back line, especially with Marc Guehi on the bench.
Winner: Marcus Rashford
Before the start of the tournament, Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford were in direct competition for the position of the left wing of England’s attack. In the end, Gordon won out as he was credited for his defensive pressure and defensive effort. Although Gordon’s performance here was not bad, he lacked a bit of determination.
As for Rashford, he offers a higher level of quality. He is a classy striker who regained his form during his season-long loan spell at Barcelona. His new confidence was evident in the way he scored. perfect footwork and an effortless volley that made everything seem like he was playing on autopilot.
Maybe it’s like this now: Gordon for energy, Rashford for goals. And if there’s a 60-minute role, that’s not a bad thing at all.
