It was a barnstorming start to the World Cup for Thomas Tuchel's England team as they thrashed Croatia 4-0 in their opening group match. The Three Lions looked sharp in attack, cutting through the Croatian defence with ease, though they showed some vulnerability in the first half. The victory has sparked hopes that England can go all the way in the tournament.
England's Road Ahead
Next up for England is a clash against Ghana in Boston, Massachusetts. A win there would secure progression to the last 32, and depending on the result of the Croatia vs Panama match, could even guarantee top spot in the group. Winning the group would mean facing one of the best third-place finishers in the first knockout round, with a potential round of 16 match against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
It has been 60 years since Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy after England's 1966 World Cup final victory over West Germany. Now, Harry Kane has the chance to become the next England captain to hoist the trophy, with the final set for July 19.
Tuchel Praises Key Players
After the Croatia win, Tuchel heaped praise on his two star players, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. Speaking about Kane, Tuchel said: "If you see the commitment of our captain, of our No 9 in extra time, to block a crucial shot after a set-piece with all his body and his commitment to buy into a defensive action like this, then you know everything about his performance today. A complete performance. Absolute leader. He's all in. Physically, mentally. It's the full package at the moment. He wants it and he leads by example, so we're very happy."
On Bellingham, Tuchel remarked: "You can rely on Jude in these moments. He loves these pressure games. That brings out the best in him. It's an easy decision to let him play and trust him, also because of the last 17 days how he bought into the idea of team spirit, the idea of brotherhood and the idea of how we want to play football which is a slightly different position to his position in Real Madrid. The tough decision was to say to Morgan Rogers he will not start because he deserves 100 per cent to start and he did ever so well for us and me. Jude was very reliable and did his very best to be a top team player for us."
Fans are now dreaming of World Cup glory, and you can have your say on whether England will end their 60-year wait to be crowned world champions.
