Thomas Tuchel didn’t panic at halftime. His England team had just played 45 minutes of sloppy, nervy soccer against Croatia, trading goals in a 2-2 deadlock that could have gone either way. But instead of chewing out his players or overcomplicating things, Tuchel told them something simple: stop worrying about the result and play the way they’ve trained for 17 days.
They listened. England came out for the second half in Boston and looked like a different team. Jude Bellingham put them ahead within minutes, and Marcus Rashford came off the bench to seal a 4-2 win that has the Three Lions sitting pretty in Group L.
The first half was a mess
England went up twice on Harry Kane goals — a retaken penalty and a header just before the break — but Croatia answered both times. Martin Baturina curled one into the top corner, and Petar Musa got a goal that survived a VAR check right at halftime. It felt like England couldn’t get out of their own way. Tuchel noticed his team dropping into a back seven and not actually defending the goal. He told ITV after the game: “I said even if we lose, it will not change my perception of the last 17 days. But let’s do it our way.”
So they did. Bellingham took over. England controlled the tempo, created chances, and finished the job. It wasn’t perfect, but with a 48-team World Cup and eight third-place teams advancing, it would take a genuinely bizarre set of results to knock them out now.
What comes next
England faces Ghana on Tuesday at the same Boston stadium. Win that game and they’re through to the round of 32, no questions asked. A win would also likely lock up first place in the group, which means drawing a third-place team from Groups E, H, I, J, or K in the knockout round.
If they draw with Ghana, things get murkier. That would push the final group game against Panama into must-win territory. But even then, the expanded format gives England plenty of margin for error.
Croatia plays Panama early Wednesday morning, and the result there will matter. A win for either team keeps the race for top spot alive. But right now, England controls its own path. Tuchel said the team was too focused on protecting something it didn’t have. Now they’ve got three points and a lot less pressure.
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