World Cup Match Notes: England-Croatia at Dallas Stadium

Eight year ago, Croatia broke English hearts in Moscow. Wednesday afternoon, they get a chance to do it again in Dallas.

England and Croatia open Group L at Dallas Stadium in a match that shapes the entire bracket for both sides. England went through European qualifying with eight wins and arrives as clear favorites. Croatia are older and yet are still somehow always in the conversation. A win here could effectively seal passage to the knockout round for either side, while a defeat leaves the loser under pressure for the remaining group games.

Oh, and FC Dallas’ own Petar Musa is suiting up for Croatia. We certainly care if we see him get any sort of minutes in this one.

Here’s what you need to know.

Looking for more World Cup, MLS and FC Dallas content? Subscribe today to get our posts directly in your inbox as we publish them.

Subscribe Today

Lineups

Three Things to Watch

Rice vs. Modric: The Midfielder Who Should Win and the One Who Might Anyway

Like most matches, the tactical battle hinges in the midfield. Declan Rice has emerged as one of the more elite midfielders in Europe, combining ball-winning with intelligent distribution from deep. Modric, at 40, remains Croatia’s creative hub, but is less able to cover the same type of ground he once did in previous tournaments. If Rice can position himself to cut off Modric’s passing lanes and win second balls, England limits Croatia’s ability to build. But if Modric’s vision and set-piece delivery kicks in, he won’t need much space to do his magic.

Does Musa start or earn minutes?

This one is special for all FC Dallas fans, who are hoping to see Musa not only get on the field but make an impact in the way he’s done this season for his club. He’s getting the minutes from the start in this one and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact he can make for his home nation.

Saka’s Fitness and What It Means for England’s Right Side

Bukayo Saka ended the domestic season with discomfort and didn’t start either of England’s final two warm-up friendlies when they hit the US. While it’s not a serious injury, Tuchel may not take risks with the later stages of the tournament in mind. Saka is one of England’s more reliable creators from the right side. England can still win the game without him, as Noni Madueke could come in as his replacement. But he doesn’t expose defenses the same way that Saka does.

The Vibe Check

Let’s just say, it is different today than it was on Sunday with the Netherlands and Japan. I would imagine we’ll see a good split between the two fan bases though, walking around the concourse when I arrived at the stadium, I came across a lot of Croatian fans. But on the drive into the stadium, there were certainly a ton of English fans filing in.

The Call

If we thought the Netherlands and Japan match was something else on Sunday, this one could be even better if the game opens up early on. I’m going with England to take this one, 2-1.

Looking for more World Cup, MLS and FC Dallas content? Subscribe today to get our posts directly in your inbox as we publish them.

Subscribe Today