It was supposed to be an examination of England's mettle. A rematch of the 2018 semi final that broke a nation's heart. Instead, in the balmy heat of...
It was supposed to be an examination of England's mettle. A rematch of the 2018 semi final that broke a nation's heart. Instead, in the balmy heat of Arlington, Texas, Gareth Southgate's side offered a response that was less about revenge and more about ruthless evolution. The 4. 2 scoreline against Zlatko Dalic's Croatia flattered nobody. It was a proper game of football, complete with a stirring Croatian fightback, and yet the Three Lions always seemed to possess an extra gear when it mattered most.Let's be honest for a moment. For about twenty minutes in the second half, this had all the makings of a classic English stumble. Croatia, having weathered an early storm, found their rhythm. They dragged England into a scrap, pulled a goal back, and suddenly the old ghosts of Moscow were rattling their chains inside the AT&T Stadium. But here is the crucial difference between this England side and the one that lost in extra time seven years ago. This team has a midfield fulcrum who can turn defence into attack with one driving run. Jude Bellingham, operating in the half spaces, did not just score a goal. He dictated the transitional play, forcing Croatia into a low block that they could not sustain. When they pushed forward, he cut them open.And then there was Harry Kane. The captain, the talisman, dropping deep as he so often does, pulling the strings before ghosting into the box to finish with that cold, clinical edge. He took his goal as a man who has seen it all. But the revelation, if we are being honest with ourselves, was Marcus Rashford. For too long, the debate around Rashford has been about inconsistency. In this match, he was simply unplayable. Cutting in from the left, running at defenders who looked as though they were wading through treacle, he provided the width and the direct running that Croatia simply could not handle. His finishing was crisp, his movement intelligent. This was the Rashford that the Old Trafford faithful have been waiting to see on the international stage for a major tournament.Croatia, to their immense credit, did not bottle it. They kept coming. Modric conducted the orchestra as best he could, and their front line caused England moments of genuine squeaky bum time. But when Southgate's side needed to find another level, they simply picked the lock. The tactical flexibility to absorb pressure and then explode on the counter was a joy to watch. It was not pretty for the full ninety minutes. It was gutsy, it was nervy, and it was gloriously entertaining. For a Group L encounter in Texas, that is all you can really ask for. England are making a statement without shouting too loudly about it.What does this tell us about the road ahead That England possess not just a starting eleven, but a squad with match winners across the pitch. They have the stardust of Bellingham, the reliability of Kane, and the rediscovered menace of Rashford. Croatia will feel hard done by to concede four, but the truth is that Southgate's men found the moments of brilliance when it mattered. That is the hallmark of a side that believes it can go all the way. Roll on the knockout stage.
