England see off Croatia 4-2 in a six-goal thriller in Arlington
An open contest at AT&T Stadium swung England's way after a thrilling six-goal end-to-end battle.
What a game in Arlington. England saw off Croatia 4-2 at the AT&T Stadium, the imposing Texan venue with a retractable roof and a capacity of around 70,600, in an end-to-end clash that produced six goals and kept the crowd on edge until the closing stages. It was, without doubt, one of the most thrilling matches of the first phase.
From the opening whistle, both teams made clear they had no intention of playing it safe. The game became a trading of blows in which the defences suffered and space opened up everywhere. Croatia, true to their style of passing and penetration, stood toe to toe throughout and forced England to sustain a very high tempo.
The English had to withstand Croatia's push in an open encounter where every error was punished. Their greater cutting edge and squad depth eventually tipped the balance England's way, as they found the net at the key moments to always keep the initiative on the scoreboard.
The final 4-2 reflects the nature of the game: two sides committed to attacking and a finish that could have been even wider. England showed they have the attacking resources to settle tricky ties, while Croatia displayed flashes of the quality that keeps them among the dangerous teams.
The win puts England in a strong position for qualification in Group L, which they share with Croatia, Ghana and Panama. On the same matchday, Ghana edged Panama 1-0 at Toronto's BMO Field, a far scrappier affair that contrasts with the goal festival in Arlington.
For Croatia, the defeat is far from decisive. In the 48-team format, even third place can open the door to the Round of 32, so the Balkan side keep their options alive if they put things right in the coming matchdays. They will, however, need to fix a defence that looked too porous.
The AT&T Stadium crowd saw the game out with the feeling of having witnessed a genuine classic. England bank three golden points and sky-high morale, in a group that looks set to be tight and in which every goal could ultimately prove decisive.