Harry Kane has revealed what England manager Thomas Tuchel told his players during half-time of the World Cup match against Croatia on Wednesday. England were in trouble twice in the first half of the match in Dallas, prompting Tuchel's assistant Anthony Barry to criticize the players in an interview with ITV, labeling their performance as "complicated and confusing". However, in the second half, the "Sons of Albion" came out on the pitch changed. Jude Bellingham put them ahead again with a fantastic solo goal, and Tuchel's side could have been well ahead if not for the outstanding performance of Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. But Marcus Rashford gave England three points with his strike five minutes from time. Kane, who equaled Gary Lineker as England's top scorer in World Cup history, explained that Tuchel had told his players they had to change their playing philosophy. “Coach gave a speech,” Kane said. "He simply said: 'If we lose, at least we lose.' We played more aggressively without the ball. In the second half, we just decided to move forward. We have to maintain the intensity with which we played for the rest of the tournament." Asked if that was the blueprint for the rest of the World Cup, Kane replied: "That second half, for sure. Even the way we controlled the game, even when we were ahead, we never looked in any danger. We had that part of the game, the first 20 minutes [of the second half].
first half] when we could have scored three or four goals. You could see Jude [Bellingham's] determination in training, the level of competition in the team is at a high level, whoever doesn't play, he's ready." Bellingham, in an interview with ITV after the match, added: "The second half showed what we can do, what kind of team we want to be. The first half was a bit nervous and uncertain. But the other half was the platform. On Tuchel's half-time speech, Bellingham said: "It wasn't a big drama or shouting match, it was just what the team needed. We all knew what level we had to be at and the early goal gave us a good platform. Credit to the coach and his staff, they put us in the best possible situation." Tuchel himself also commented on what he told his players during the break: "I talked to the players. I gave them a moment of peace, I told them to calm down after conceding the goal. Calm down, calm your nerves and I encouraged them to play their way. I told them that my perception of them and the last 17 days will not change because of this result, no matter what the result is. But I want them to play their way, our way." I want them to be brave, to be bold, to be intense, and to be on the front foot, and for us to do it together and just keep going and try to take it and be proactive. I encouraged them with words that were short, calm and, yes, if they say it helped, even better." England will face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday and will win
will ensure Tuchel's team advancement to the knockout phase.
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