'Four-goal first-half thriller': England and Croatia end the first half tied 2-2

*This content was translated by AI.

The England national football team, considered a favorite to win the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean Cup, finished the first half tied 2-2 with Croatia.

England, coached by Thomas Tuchel of Germany (FIFA ranking 4th), faced Croatia (11th) in the Group L first-round match of the North, Central America and Caribbean Cup, which kicked off at the Dallas Stadium in the United States on the 18th (Korean time).

As the FIFA rankings indicate, the matchup between the two teams was hailed as the biggest match of the first round of the group stage in this tournament, and in reality, both teams engaged in a fiery contest from the first half.

England broke the balance first. In the 9th minute of the first half, a foul by Luka Modric (AC Milan) inside the penalty box resulted in a penalty kick being awarded. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) had his shot blocked by the goalkeeper, but a ruling was made that a defender had entered the penalty box before Kane took the kick, giving him another chance to take the penalty. Kane did not miss the second opportunity.

However, Croatia equalized in the 36th minute of the first half. Petar Sucic (Inter Milan) penetrated from the right flank and laid the ball off to Martin Baturina (Como), who connected with a right-footed non-stop shot, violently shaking the England goal net.

In response, England took the lead again six minutes later with a header from Kane in a corner kick situation, but Croatia responded with a dramatic equalizer in the final moments of stoppage time in the first half. Petar Musa (FC Dallas), receiving a pass from Ivan Perisic (PSV Eindhoven), scored the equalizing goal.

Whether Perisic's header pass was offside after penetrating the space behind the defense was a key variable, but the goal was ultimately awarded to Croatia.

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*This content was translated by AI.