It only takes a second to score a goal, the Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough used to say. And it only takes a single game to restore a team’s international reputation, judging by the reaction to England’s 4-1 road win in Croatia Wednesday.
Nothing prior to the performance had suggested that England would show itself as anything other than “the callow, confused and clumsy rabble previously led by Steve McClaren,” writes Paul Doyle. “Instead, a solid and bold team deservedly inflicted a first competitive home defeat on the crowing Croats.”
Fabio Capello’s team started with ambition, showing none of the timidity of their last visit, a 2-0 defeat during the country’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008. The first goal came from “obscene Croatian defending,” but the second and third goals “were created with brash but patient ingenuity, and [Wayne] Rooney’s pass for the fourth was tasty too.” Also welcome, however, was Croatia’s “late consolation goal following sloppy English play: insofar as it reminded us that suddenly proclaiming this team future world champions would be premature.”