Thomas Tuchel gave his players a true "drying" during halftime. They were completely overwhelmed. But the second half was really excellent. What England showed in the first 10 minutes after halftime was great" - Gary Neville commented.
Those 10 minutes could become the moment that shapes the 2026 World Cup journey of the England team. Right from the beginning of the second half, Tuchel's team showed the face they wanted. After the match, Jude Bellingham affirmed: "That is the England team we want to become".
Bellingham's goal in the 47th minute opened the explosive period, helping the "Three Lions" re-establish the lead in the 4-2 victory over Croatia. If it weren't for the excellence of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, the score could have become much more distant.
Within 12 minutes after Bellingham's goal, England launched nine shots. Livakovic continuously had to show his talent to save to keep hope for Croatia.
The most notable was the series of situations in the 56th and 57th minutes, when the Croatian goalkeeper continuously denied shots from Nico O'Reilly, Anthony Gordon, Ezri Konsa and Harry Kane. In just 85 seconds, he made up to five consecutive saves.
In total, England had 11 shots on target in the whole match, a record only second to Germany at the 2026 World Cup up to that point. It is worth mentioning that they did this against Croatia - the team that won the 2018 World Cup runner-up and third place in 2022.
Of course, there are still problems to be solved. The England defense sometimes seemed uncertain and their first half lacked the necessary control. But the reaction after the break showed that Tuchel knew exactly what he wanted.
Assistant Anthony Barry admitted in an interview between halves that the team is being affected by "chaos" and "anxious energy". These are things that English fans have witnessed many times in major tournaments.
The difference is that this time, the England team reacted strongly. "We showed that right from the beginning of the second half. We played our best football and they couldn't resist" - Harry Kane shared.
Many teams have scored 4 or more goals at the 2026 World Cup, but mostly against weaker opponents. England's ability to do that against Croatia is a completely different story.
However, the question is whether they can maintain that intensity or not. The playing conditions in Dallas with a roofed stadium and air conditioning system help players maintain an ideal physical foundation. The challenges ahead, especially in harsher weather conditions or against opponents with better anti-pressing ability, will be a real test.
Harry Kane also brought optimism. The England captain scored 2 goals, launched seven shots and still actively supported the defense in the final minutes of the match. That is a completely different image from EURO 2024, when he was often questioned about his fitness.
The road ahead is still very long. But if England really makes a difference at the 2026 World Cup, then the first 10 minutes of the second half against Croatia and Tuchel's speech in the dressing room may be remembered as one of the most important turning points of that journey.
