FIFA WORLD CUP : ENGLAND VS CROATIA – 17/05/2026

WELL, WELL, WELL, WHAT-A-NIGHT FOR ENGLAND IN THE FIRST MATCH OF THEIR WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN AGAINST CROATIA LAST NIGHT!  ENGLAND MADE 476 PASSES WITH AN 88% PASS ACCURACY, HAD 54% POSSESSION, AND WERE TWO-NIL UP BY HALF-TIME, THANKS TO A BRILLIANT BRACE FROM HARRY KANE.  THE FIRST GOAL FROM A PENALTY AT 12 MINS., AND THE SECOND STUNNER AT 42 MINS!  CROATIA MADE 431 PASSES, WITH AN 87% PASS ACCURACY, AND HAD 11 SHOTS, WITH 5 ON-TARGET, INCLUDING TWO CRACKERS FROM MARTIN BATURINA AT 36 MINS., AND PETAR MUSA AT 45 +5 MINS!  SO IT WAS 2 – 2 AT HALF-TIME!

CUE, A TEAM TALK FROM THOMAS TUCHEL, WHO FELT THAT HIS TEAM MIGHT HAVE BEEN PLAYING A BIT TOO CAREFULLY, AND URGED THEM TO PLAY “WITHOUT FEAR.”  AND TAKING HIS ADVICE, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID!  OUT WITH THE CAGEYNESS, AND IN WITH THE COURAGEOUSNESS!  HENCEFORTH MAKING SHORT-SHRIFT OF CROATIA, CREATING ANOTHER 2 SPECTACULAR GOALS! WITH THE FIRST FROM JUDE BELLINGHAM AT 47 MINS., AND A STUNNING FINISHER FROM MARCUS RASHFORD AT 85 MINS. UPON WHICH THE BRITISH FANS WENT WILD IN THE DALLAS STADIUM, (PLUS THERE WAS LOT’S OF BEER SPILLING, SWILLING AND CHEERING ACROSS BRITAIN ALSO, WHICH HAS GONE ON INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING!😊)  MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE THREE LIONS!  IT REALLY WAS A SPECTACULAR EVENING OF ENTERTAINMENT (SO THANK YOU TO CROATIA ALSO!)

ENGLAND FANS WERE ECSTATIC AFTER THE MATCH, FOLLOWING THOMAS TUCHEL’S “TEAM TALK”