23 hours ago
11
Key events
GOAL! England 4-2 Croatia (Rashford 85)
Game over! Saka skips down the right touchline and looks for Spence. His pass doesn’t find his man, but he regains the ball and rolls infield for Rashford, who is free on the edge of the box. Rashford chops inside, gives Livakovic the eyes, and curls a low shot into the bottom right. Lovely England move! Saka magnificent, with a finish to match.
84 min: Kovacic finds a pocket of space in the middle, 35 yards out, and tries to catch Pickford out with a threaded effort towards the bottom left. There’s no pace whatsoever on the shot and it’s an easy snaffle for the keeper. But England are sitting deep and inviting pressure.
82 min: Spence hares after a pass down the inside-right channel but can’t force a shot past Livakovic, who has conceded three times despite playing like a superstar. Who’d be a goalie?
81 min: “Entertaining goals and chances are all well and good, but what’s the xG?” wonders Eddy Nason. “I believe that’s the official currency of football now.” Your wish is my command, Eddy. England are on 2.36 while Croatia lag behind on 0.38.
81 min: Kramaric crosses from the left. Pickford punches clear, though not particularly convincingly. The ball drops to Sucic, on the edge of the box. Pickford breathes again as Sucic flays a dismal effort miles over the bar.
80 min: Bellingham, tonight’s difference maker, is replaced by Spence. England perhaps looking to shore things up and keep hold of what they have.
79 min: Croatia make a double switch, replacing Mario Pasalic and Baturina with Kramaric and Vlasic. Meanwhile ITV report that Rice was limping a little bit when he left the field of play, so that should power the news cycle for the next few days.
77 min: No, this game isn’t done and dusted. Matanovic has a whack from distance. It’s heading into the bottom left, but not at enough pace to beat Pickford.
76 min: Marco Pasalic scampers down the right, enters the box, and makes enough space to shoot from a tight angle. Pickford, who has had little to do in this second half, parries well. A reminder that this game is not yet over. “I can tell you one thing, Scott,” begins Nelson Calvinho. “Pub owners must love these hydration breaks. Every time one comes along, everyone in the pub heads to the bar to get ‘hydrated’ in sympathy. I reckon pubs will really miss them once the Premier League season ends.”
75 min: Rashford nearly latches onto Stanisic’s weak back-header down the England left. Livakovic comes to the edge of his area to block-clear, just in time.
74 min: Rogers jinks down the right but upon entering the Croatia box can’t link up with Saka.
72 min: England make their first changes. Rogers comes on for Rice, Saka replaces Madueke, and Gordon makes way for Rashford.
71 min: Plopp and Kex, though!
70 min: … and that’s drinks. More vindaloo sauce and pepper dip, anyone?
… although the red-and-white checkerboard pattern of Belgium’s ketjep mayo seems more on point for the Croats. Meanwhile in completely unrelated news, here’s your regular reminder that the Sweden entry features sweeties called PLOPP and KEX.
69 min: Madueke crosses from the right. Kane flicks on for Gordon, whose first-time belt is blocked by Stanisic. A move not totally unlike the one that led to Croatia’s second equaliser.
68 min: England’s pace has dropped a little bit. They were unlikely to keep that up for the entire second 45, to be fair. “Roll on the Hydration Break,” hollers Rich Cutler. “I’ve done a whole bag of Revels already, and really need to brush my teeth. How much longer? I liked those Keith Williams pictures, btw.”
66 min: Croatia make a double change, replacing Musa and Vuskovic with Matanovic and Marco Pasalic. (The Pasalic who started the game, and remains on, is Mario.)
64 min: Kovacic steals the ball off O’Reilly and sends Sucic sashaying into the England box from the right. But Sucic takes one touch too many in his attempt to beat Stones, and runs the ball out for a goal kick. A little bit better from Croatia, who were seriously reeling and rocking back there.
63 min: Croatia have calmed it down a bit since Kovacic’s arrival. More possession as they attempt to settle the game down. England are still pressing hard, though, and all of the play is in the Croatian half.
61 min: Thomas Tuchel has been hovering on the touchline since the restart. His mere presence seems to be encouraging England into action. They’ve been super-intense in this second half. “I’m sorry, but are England fun to watch now?” splutters Matt Emerson. “This is a deeply unsettling turn of events. We haven’t been fun since Joe Mercer was in charge and we got rid of him sharpish to make sure it didn’t happen again.”
59 min: Are these words not enough? No they are not. Gallery here!
58 min: Modric, who has looked his age tonight, is replaced by Kovacic. Croatia had to do something. England are all over them.
56 min: Livakovic punches the corner clear. Hard. But the ball comes into the box again. Kane tries to force home. Livakovic makes another save with strong hand. Then the ball’s sent in a third time. Stanisic just about holds Kane off, six yards out. Livakovic with a one-man supershow!
55 min: Madueke and James combine down the right and earn yet another corner. Rice saunters over to take it in the Arsenal style. But when it’s eventually sent in, football breaks out! O’Reilly meets Rice’s delivery and powers a header goalwards. Livakovic sticks up a hand to stop. Gordon has another go. The keeper parries again! What a double save! But it’ll be another corner, this time from the left.
53 min: One Rice corner from the right leads to another. From the second, Madueke tries to break into space down the right, but toes out for a goal kick. He was caught late by Modric, and is unlucky not to earn a free kick just to the side of the box. But goal kick it is.
52 min: Rice swans in from the left flank, opens his body, and sends a power curler towards the top right. It’s not quite tucked in the far corner, and Livakovic is able to turn around the post. But it’s another England corner, and Croatia are hanging on a bit here.
51 min: Croatia need to settle themselves. Baturina buys them some time with a dribble down the right, buying a cheap free kick when finally surrounded by white shirts. Modric sends the free kick into the mixer, but Kane clears.
49 min: Rice sends the corner long from the left. O’Reilly, unmarked six yards out at the far post, heads wide right. One way or another, England should be 4-2 up. Penny to have been a fly on the wall during Tuchel’s half-time speech.
48 min: Bellingham picks up possession again, and from the left-hand edge of the Croatia D, whacks a shot straight at Livakovic. Either side of the keeper, and that was two goals in as many minutes. As things stand, it’s just a corner.
GOAL! England 3-2 Croatia (Bellingham 47)
If England’s stars have been given the what-for, it’s certainly worked! Bellingham latches onto a long Anderson pass down the right. It was meant for Madueke. But Bellingham takes charge, and barrels off down the flank, powering infield, and lashing a low shot across Livakovic and into the bottom left! What a start to the second half!
Croatia – having been kept waiting by late arrivals England, who may or may not have been given a firm talking-to - eventually get the second half started. No changes. “Livakovic‘s kit is so pink, I assume Anish Kapoor wouldn’t be allowed to buy a replica,” writes Matt Dony. “Because, if we can’t make niche, faux-high brow jokes with a self-congratulatory air in an MBM, where can we?”
Anthony Barry, England’s assistant coach, has just told ITV that the team “fell back into fearful patterns.” Talk of nervous energy not doing England any favours. He didn’t look particularly happy.
Half-time postbag. “I’m loath to defend these hydration/match breaks, but if there’s going to be even one match in the tournament with them, then all of the matches need them. Otherwise teams in matches in climate controlled conditions such as this one would be able to allege (accurately) that their group opponents had the opportunity for mid-half tactics in hotter environments that they didn’t similarly enjoy. So in the interest of fairness they all need to have them” – Matt Burtz
“As a counter-balance to Alun Pugh (25 min), I can’t function at work without an endless supply of tea. That’s just sitting at a desk, let alone running around a field for 90 minutes” – Phil Sawyer
“As a neutral, I was supporting England when the match started, but after Kane’s stutter I switched allegiance to Croatia” – Vlado
“I would have thought the Croatia set-piece coach would have known all about Declan Rice’s corners by now. But then again, maybe even the professionals couldn’t stand watching too much of Arsenal this year” – Justin Kavanagh
“Looking forward to ITV’s cursory analysis of the first half, then giving it the big build up to Scotland’s next game on Friday. That’s how these things work, right?” – Simon McMahon
HALF TIME: England 2-2 Croatia
A suggestion that Perisic might have been offside in the build-up … but Konsa was playing him on. And that’s that. A very productive half of football for England captain Harry Kane, but Croatia simply refuse to lie down. A very entertaining match. More, please!
GOAL! England 2-2 Croatia (Musa 45+5)
The half looks to be petering out. Then suddenly Croatia snap into life. Pasalic dinks forwards. Perisic cushions a header down for Musa, who opens his body and sidefoots across Pickford and into the bottom right!
45 min +4: Pasalic has a crack from 25 yards, looking for the top right. Always wide, always high.
45 min +3: Croatia pass and probe, only for Perisic to needlessly run the ball out of play on the left flank.
45 min +1: James batters the free kick straight at Modric. He’s hit better.
45 min: Bellingham is brushed by Pasalic, 30 yards from the Croatia goal. He goes over and wins a soft free kick in a very dangerous position. There will be five additional first-half minutes.
43 min: A brilliant delivery from Rice, with a finish to suit! That’s Kane’s tenth goal at a World Cup finals, and he equals a record Gary Lineker set at Mexico 86 and Italia 90.
GOAL! England 2-1 Croatia (Kane 42)
Rice sends the corner long. Kane steals in on the penalty spot, and powers a downward header into the bottom left. Pow! Easy as that, and Livakovic had no chance whatsoever!
41 min: Madueke’s presence down the right forces Vuskovic into the concession of a corner. Rice ambles over to take it …
40 min: Bellingham shipped possession in the build-up to the equaliser. First Modric, now Bellingham … opening-match World Cup nerves can affect the best of them.
38 min: Pickford got a finger to that, but was in no position to stop it. And no wonder, because Baturina’s shot has been recorded as flying in at 120 kilometers per hour.
GOAL! England 1-1 Croatia (Baturina 36)
Croatia suddenly snap into life, and suddenly Croatia are level! Sucic advances down the right and cuts back for Baturina, romping in from the flank. A first-time rising shot flies across Pickford and into the top left! That’s an absolute belter!
35 min: James hooks in from the right. Kane wins a header at the far stick, but not convincingly, as he’s under pressure from Sutalo. Croatia clear their lines.
33 min: Stanisic spins O’Reilly out on the Croatian right, and is hauled back. O’Reilly is perhaps fortunate to avoid a booking. Meanwhile on the penalty, here’s Steve Bradfield: “If the taker stutters I would suggest the keeper’s reaction to move is understandable which is surely the whole purpose of the stutter which would be like Kane throwing a dummy in open play.”
31 min: Kane releases Madueke down the right. Madueke curls a delicious low cross into the centre. Bellingham very nearly gets in ahead of Vuskovic, but trips over his own feet in his attempt to poke goalwards. Madueke looks dangerous every time he gets involved.
30 min: … so yes, that break appears to have allowed Croatia to rethink and regroup. They’re seeing more of the ball now.
28 min: Kane miscontrols 30 yards from his own goal, and allows Musa to dribble off with the ball. But Musa dithers when he should drive, and eventually loses control himself. Not for the first time today, England’s captain gets away with one.
27 min: Let’s see if that wholly unnecessary break will jigger England’s momentum. Speaking of momentum … “I think if the penalty taker does a stutter step then the keeper should be allowed to move off his line from the start of the stutter,” opines David Flynn. “It’s hard enough for the keeper without not knowing when the ball will actually be kicked.”
26 min: Play restarts. Meanwhile it’s been officially confirmed that the retake was awarded for both Gvardiol’s encroachment and Livakovic coming off his line. Admin, glorious admin.
25 min: “After 25 minutes in a temperature and humidity controlled stadium, professional athletes stop for an ad break.” Alun Pugh breaking it down so I don’t have to.
23 min: … and that’s drinks. Boos greet the unpopular Hydration Break. So what do England and Croatia have for us here, then?
Vindaloo cooking sauce and an aubergine dip? They could double as drinks at a push. Not 100 percent sure of their isotonic qualities, but that’s what’s on the menu.
21 min: Bellingham barges his way down the left, sent away by QB Kane, dropping deep. But he runs out of space by the time he reaches the edge of the box, and the ball breaks through to Livakovic, who gathers. England were second best until the penalty; now they look dangerous every time they break forward.
20 min: Anderson nips in to steal a loose ball in the middle of the park. Suddenly England are on the attack. But Anderson holds onto possession for too long, and when he eventually looks for Kane to his right, there’s no room to thread the pass.
