Arlington: In a 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday, Jude Bellingham put England ahead for good two minutes into the second half, while Harry Kane scored twice to equal England's World Cup goalscoring record.
Martin Baturina and Petar Musa responded to each of Kane's first-half goals in a rematch of the 2018 World Cup semi-final won by Croatia. Musa's goal came with the final touch of the first half.
The level score did not last long after the restart.
Following a long pass from Elliot Anderson, Bellingham shrugged off a defender and fired a shot past Dominik Livaković and in off the far post. In the 85th minute, Marcus Rashford extended England's lead.
“He just told us to take the shackles off,” Kane said of coach Thomas Tuchel's half-time message after Croatia had equalised so late before the break.
“The way we conceded that second goal is not the team we want to be. He finally just said, 'What's the worst that can happen? We lose the match, it's the first group game, and we move on.' He told us to go and show the world who we can be.”
Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia after scoring six goals. He now has 10 World Cup goals, matching Gary Lineker's tally from the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.
The 32-year-old's first goal came on his second attempt from the penalty spot after Livaković's save from the initial kick was overturned by a video review, which showed that both of the goalkeeper's feet were off the goal line when Kane struck the ball.
Kane aimed towards the right-hand post again with his second attempt, while Livaković dived in the opposite direction.
The penalty was awarded after Luka Modrić, the 40-year-old midfielder who extended his Croatian record by appearing in his fifth World Cup, kicked Noni Madueke in the thigh.
Kane matched Lineker's record when the Bayern Munich striker powered a header past Livaković from a Declan Rice corner. Kane now has 81 international goals.
“We scored two goals from good moves and good situations, but it was too little,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said through an interpreter. “England was very difficult to play against. We also needed to be stronger defensively.”
Bellingham almost immediately had another excellent scoring opportunity after netting his seventh international goal. Livaković denied him and then made several more saves during a sustained spell of England pressure.
“We could have scored probably three goals in that 20-minute spell after half-time,” Kane said. “In the end, we just had too much for a great team that will probably go far in the tournament themselves.”
Musa scored the first World Cup goal by an active Major League Soccer player from FC Dallas, whose home ground is about 40 miles from AT&T Stadium.
The retractable-roof venue, home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, provided World Cup fans with an air-conditioned escape from the humid Texas heat. White-clad England supporters and Croatia fans, mostly dressed in their traditional red-and-white chequered colours rather than the blue kit worn by the players, filled the stadium.
Musa reacted quickest to a header from Ivan Perišić and volleyed the ball past Jordan Pickford, who had also been beaten in the 36th minute by Baturina. That effort into the left corner brushed Pickford's hand on its way in.
Bukayo Saka's pass created space for Rashford as the Barcelona forward entered the penalty area, feinted with his left foot and scored his 19th international goal with his right.
“I loved the second half, all of it,” Tuchel said. “I encouraged them to go for it, to play with more courage, to be brave and to be ourselves. As I said, I loved their reaction.”
England next face Ghana in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in Group L on Tuesday, while Croatia play Panama in Toronto on the same day.
