England dazzled in 4-2 win over Croatia in Group L opener
Victory over Ghana on Tuesday will guarantee place in knockout phase
Thomas Tuchel and Declan Rice speak ahead of clash in Boston
have consistently racked up wins since Thomas Tuchel took charge of his first match in March 2025, but none felt quite like last week’s 4-2 triumph over Croatia.
When the stakes were highest in their opener, the Three Lions’ fluency, coherence and attacking verve hit levels not seen before in the Tuchel era.
Croatia simply could not contain them, particularly after a half-time team-talk when the German coach encouraged his players to “go for it”. It was a performance which hinted at a team who may have peaked just at the right time, and the challenge is now to sustain that momentum when they face Ghana in Boston on Tuesday.
Speaking on the eve of that contest, Tuchel was asked how he has shaped an environment where players can perform with such confidence and courage.
“I'm very happy and a very lucky coach, because they arrived [at the World Cup] with this mindset,” he said. “I didn't have to ‘get’ them in the mindset. Now it's the difficulty to keep them in that way. A very famous conductor once said he doesn't want to disturb the music, and he doesn't want to disturb the musicians. That's basically what we try to do in the coaching team. Just encourage them to play with freedom, especially in the attacking positions.”
Tuchel was speaking at his pre-match press conference alongside Declan Rice, who he hailed as “one of the very best midfielders in the world”.
Rice helped provide the platform for England’s talented attackers to flourish against Croatia, with his relentless work-rate and intelligent distribution helping his team control large parts of the game.
The Arsenal star was buoyed by England’s exceptional second-half display, describing it as “probably one of the best 45 minutes of football we’ve played under Thomas”. “As players, we know what's required,” he added. “That second-half performance was the benchmark for us in terms of having to start the game at that level, at that tempo. We believe that if we can do that from the opening minute, we can beat any opponent in the World Cup.”
Rice is further emboldened by the fact England have a world-class striker spearheading their attack. On what captain Harry Kane offers the team, he said: “He's one of those players... You can tell the kids when you're older that you got to play with Harry Kane! That's how good he is.
"You see the goals he scores in training, what he's been doing at Bayern Munich, what he's been doing in an England shirt... I'm very lucky that I get to play with a striker like him.”
Rice spoke throughout the press conference with a smile on his face, visibility excited about what lies ahead and the potential of this England team.
Past England players have spoken about feeling the weight of expectation on their shoulders, with a fanbase desperate for success having not tasted glory at a major tournament since 1966.
Tuchel believes his squad are well-equipped to deal with such intense pressure.
“I feel that we have so many winners and so many players who are experienced to cope with that,” he said. “On the stage of a World Cup, it can feel quite emotional to represent your country and to play in an England shirt. I get that. There are emotions involved and you can at some point feel the tension and feel the pressure.
“I hope we can cope with it, accept it and turn it around. One of our key principles is to just behave and train and play in a manner that it's always 0-0. No matter what, it's always 0-0. The next pass counts, the next action counts, the next tackle is important, the next movement to help each other out, this is what counts. It helps a lot that we have the spirit to help each other out. I think no-one is afraid anymore to make mistakes. Mistakes are just part of this beautiful game.
“It's just a matter of how you react to mistakes, how you help each other. From there. I think it's easier to cope with the pressure – and maybe to embrace it and see it as something beautiful.”
Sources: FIFA Official
