England overcame Croatia 4-2 in a frantic World Cup tie at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, a game in which Harry Kane scored twice. It was a start that had fans on the edge of their seats.
Emotional Rollercoaster for Fans
I and the rest of the England fans experienced the whole spectrum of emotions as we watched the Croatia win. It was a privilege to be inside the 'Palace in Dallas' to watch the start of their World Cup campaign. At times it felt like a chaotic FA Cup third round tie. At others an amazing world sporting experience - a mixture of a World Cup match and an American sporting Super Bowl-style occasion. But at the end it was like a karaoke night down the pub. They bellowed the Beatles hit 'Hey Jude', Oasis's 'Wonderwall', and the traditional 'Sweet Caroline'.
England fans were on tenterhooks all game but burst into a stadium wide rendition of 'Football's Coming Home' after Marcus Rashford's 85th minute goal which sealed the win. The 4-2 scoreline immediately sent older fans recalling the 1966 glory. That was the score when England triumphed at Wembley 60 years ago. Just last week hat trick hero Geoff Hurst told me: 'I hope the boys win it for the lads of '66.' His message has certainly got through.
A Special Sporting Occasion
But it was more than a football match tonight - it was a special sporting occasion. An hour before the game I went onto the concourse. There was an extraordinary atmosphere. American Jessica Long came up to me and shook my hand - excitedly wanting to talk about the World Cup coming to her home city. As a former London marathon competitor she had actually run past my flat in London. 'This is brilliant what an amazing day,' she said. 'The World Cup is fantastic - look at everyone coming together.'
Jessica, 40, is a finance transformation leader who used to work in Paddington. 'We need to be quiet now,' she nudged me. It was 50 minutes before the game and the American national anthem was about to be sung. All the Americans inside the stadium sang it and Croatians and English fans stood in respectful silence.
I've never seen so many club shirts at an England international match. Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, Newcastle United and West Ham shirts could be seen. Most seemed to be worn by Americans - a sign of the global power of the Premier League.
As always, for me, it's the flags of the English fans that tell the stories of long expensive journeys. From Accrington to Penzance towns and villages up and down the country were part of the experience. Now the travelling army starts making its plans to get to Boston and then New York. The World Cup journey has only just begun.
