England captain Harry Kane credited Thomas Tuchel’s half-time team talk for inspiring a second-half turnaround as the Three Lions defeated Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.
Kane scored twice before the break, including a retaken penalty, but Croatia battled back to level the match at 2-2 heading into half-time.
England emerged with renewed energy after the interval. Jude Bellingham put them back in front with a brilliant solo effort before substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the victory late on.
Despite showcasing their attacking quality, England looked vulnerable defensively in the opening half. Kane revealed that Tuchel’s message during the break helped change the team’s mindset.
“He gave a great speech, especially after the way we conceded the second goal just before half-time,” Kane said.
“He told us to let the shackles off, calm down and stop being afraid. He said we needed to go out and show the world what we can do.
“The way we conceded that goal wasn’t the team we want to be. We were dropping deep, waiting and still conceding. He basically told us to be brave and play our football.”
England responded emphatically, creating several chances through Kane, Bellingham and Nico O’Reilly before Rashford wrapped up the win.
Tuchel admitted his side struggled in the first half, describing their performance as nervous and overly cautious.
“I felt we were a bit nervy,” Tuchel told ITV. “We chose the safe option too often and played too many passes backwards. We struggled to find our rhythm and lacked the confidence to play through the gaps.”
The England manager was far more satisfied with the response after the break.
“I loved the reaction from the players in the second half,” he said. “The second half was excellent. We deserved to win.
“There were a lot of emotions involved and it took us a while to get going, but once we did, we showed what we are capable of. That’s very positive.”
