JAKARTA - England captain Harry Kane praised his team's intensity when defeating Croatia with a score of 4-2 in the first match of Group L of the 2026 World Cup at the Dallas Stadium, United States, Thursday.
England had a fierce resistance from Croatia and had to close the first half with a 2-2 draw. However, Thomas Tuchel's team appeared more aggressive after halftime and managed to lock in the victory through Jude Bellingham's goal in the 47th minute and Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute.
Kane revealed that Thomas Tuchel's message at half-time was one of the keys to the Three Lions' revival.
"Appreciation for the coach. The coach gave us a message at halftime, like saying, 'Listen, if we lose, we lose in our own way'. You can see it from the way we started the second half. We played with full intensity and they couldn't handle it," said Kane as reported by the official FIFA website.
The two-goal scorer against Croatia assessed that the intensity of the game was England's greatest strength and must continue to be maintained throughout the tournament.
"That's the standard we have to show in every game. So appreciation for everyone. This is the first match in the tournament and we got an amazing result against a strong team. The intensity of the game is our biggest strength and we have to use it more often in this tournament," he said.
Meanwhile, England attacking midfielder Jude Bellingham admitted his team was nervous and too cautious in the first half despite being able to maintain good defensive organization.
"We were a little nervous and a little cautious in the first half. We defended well, put pressure on well, and were pretty solid when we didn't have the ball. But when we did have the ball, we were probably a little bit rushed," Bellingham said.
Bellingham said his early second-half goal was an important momentum that helped England control the course of the match. He also highlighted the consistency of the intensity of the game as well as the contribution of the substitute players.
"In the second half we found a better rhythm of play and that's where you saw our best ability. The early goal in the second half gave us a good foundation. Our intensity without the ball was at the highest level, and the players who came off the bench were amazing," said the Real Madrid player.
The victory over Croatia is an important capital for England in the hunt for tickets to the 2026 World Cup.
In addition to bringing home three points, The Three Lions also showed the depth of the squad and the ability to bounce back after coming under pressure from the opponent.
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