Harry Kane’s career has been defined by its late-stage urgency. The move to Bayern in search of trophies, ended in a barren first season. That was followed by a gradual uplift which transitioned into titles and the unyielding admiration of a Munich public that got enamored by the tireless workrate of the Englishman. Kane at Bayern is a revelation – dropping deep into the midfield, being an elite ball distributor, while maintaining an intelligent press. And it has not come at the cost of goals (nearly one a game). He was already England’s greatest striker before the move but inexplicably has become a complete version of himself. That finished product turned up against Croatia on Thursday. The striker, in England’s first World Cup game, and perhaps in his last tournament as the force that he is, displayed a masterful performance against a seasoned, veteran opponent. Ten minutes in, Noni Madueke was carelessly brought down by Luka Modric in the Croatia box. Kane, who’s last major act for England at a World Cup was to miss a penalty against France, went through that nightmare again when Dominik Livakovic dived to his right and denied a goal. But after English protests VAR declared that the keeper had moved out of his line early and the penalty would need to be retaken. Kane went again, and this time sent Livakovic the wrong way to open England’s account. Croatia came right back with a goal from the English playbook – specifically from the European championship final in 2024. In that final, Cole Palmer had scored from a Jude Bellingham pullback and on Tuesday Petar Sucic’s cutback was curled in with power by Martin Baturina. Kane’s response: Deploy John Stones ahead of him during a corner as a blocker and guide a header into goal. In a half where England were struggling to create control, Kane’s unerring efficiency brought back the lead against a wise opponent again. But that control England lacked, reared its head again. Virtually the last move of the half, Mario Pasalic dropped a lob to Perisic deep in Jordan Pickford’s territory. The winger, who has tormented the English for a good part of the last decade, dragged four of them with him, and sold the dummy with a headed ball back into the path of Petar Musa, who took the opportunity with both hands. Story continues below this ad England ended the half with their lead lost twice but crucially with an unexplainable brittleness. It was banished moments later. When Tuchel took over England’s reins for an 18-month project that is set to end on the final day of the World Cup, the consensus was that this was too little time. For a manager whose meticulousness is only bested by Pep Guardiola, a few international camps before a World Cup was surely not going to rinse the influence of Gareth Southgate from this team. Tuchel has wanted England to think fast, pass faster. To live life internationally, as the players live it domestically. It’s a marked departure from what has led to their best period of results internationally since they won the World Cup in 1966. Southgate’s measured, restrained England teams played tournament football pragmatically. Possessing nowhere near the talent of their golden generation, he fashioned finals appearances at the 2020 and 2024 European Championships, and took England to the quarters in Qatar and all the way to the semifinals in Russia 2018. Tuchel has plans to change that course and set the ship to his own direction. Story continues below this ad In the second half, an expansive, faster England came out of the gates. Bellingham quickly restored the lead as the half began – taking a Reece James pass on the right wing and going all the way through to the finish. The midfield trio of Premier League winner Declan Rice, Manchester City target Elliot Anderson and Real Madrid Champions League winner Bellingham followed Kane into a methodical midfield press. They finally had the control they wanted. A fourth goal came from Marcus Rashford towards the end, who had come on as a substitute. Kane even had time for a near-goal line block towards the end of the 4-2 victory. An imperial performance delivered by England’s one true all-weather world class player. By no means was it a perfect performance – they hadn’t conceded a single goal in qualification but ended up giving two away in a World Cup group stage for the first time in their history. A win against a waning Croatian team was never meant to be a walk in the park but England gained the win that gives them control of their group, and a poise to what has been a turbulent entry into the World Cup.
Harry Kane serves a reminder of why he’s England’s most valuable player
