Kane and Bellingham Crush Croatia: The Rhythm Broken in Rijeka

In the first 21 minutes in Rijeka, I counted three occasions where Croatia lost the ball in midfield. One of them led to a goal. The other two sent the ball straight into the hosts' penalty area. My notebook reads clearly: 'Minute 11 — Gvardiol square pass, Guehi intercepts, Bellingham through ball, Kane finishes. 1-0.' It was a sequence of actions with no sign of hesitation, and it showed Croatia had been read from the moment the referee blew his whistle. I had come to Rijeka to track this group after Spain dismantled both teams in earlier rounds. Spain beat Croatia 4-1, then edged England 3-2. That turned the England-Croatia clash into a mini final for the second qualification spot. Both sides arrived on 3 points after two rounds. Both had lost to Spain and won the other match. This was a game where the winner would control their own destiny. In the first half in Rijeka, England under their interim manager deployed a proactive midfield block. They did not press high continuously as I had seen under Gareth Southgate, but chose their moments. Croatia held the ball, but every square pass in midfield was met by a white shirt charging forward. Marc Guehi, the Crystal Palace centre-back, was the one stepping out of the defensive line to intercept. He is not a defensive midfielder, but he read the situation before the ball reached Gvardiol's feet. I wrote in my notebook: 'Guehi — not a ball-winner, but a rhythm-reader.' He intercepted in midfield, and within three seconds, the ball was in Dominik Livakovic's net. Bellingham received, turned, and slipped it through for Kane. Kane needed no adjustment. He placed it into the far corner with his instep. It was Kane's fifth goal against Croatia in their last two meetings. UEFA's post-match statistics showed Croatia had 58% possession in the first half, but only two shots on target. England had 42% of the ball, but five shots on target and two goals. It was the contrast between controlling possession and controlling the match. Croatia held the ball but could not hold the rhythm. England did not need the ball to score. They needed space, and Croatia provided it generously. The second goal came from a different script. On 21 minutes, Anthony Gordon — a left winger — received the ball wide. I had noted Gordon before the match: he is not a traditional winger. He tends to drift inside, creating space for the full-back to push up. But in this situation, he ran straight down the line and crossed with his left foot. Bellingham, arriving from the second line, met it at the back post and tapped into an empty net. 2-0. Croatia did not respond. Their defence pushed up, but the midfield could not keep up. Luka Modridić, at 39, was still the metronome, but he no longer had the pace to cover the spaces behind. Mateo Kovacic ran, but he is not a destroyer. Josko Gvardiol, expected to lead the defence, was the one who made the first error. It was not an isolated individual mistake. It was the consequence of a structure that had been decoded. I rewatched the footage of Croatia's 1-4 loss to Spain. Three of their four concessions came from quick counterattacks after losing the ball in midfield. It was not a problem unique to this match. It is a pattern. When Croatia lose the ball in midfield, they lack the pace to retreat into defensive shape. The defence pushes up to support the attack, but the midfield cannot hold the ball. The space between the defensive line and the goalkeeper becomes a dead zone. Croatia's manager tried to fix it at half-time. He changed the midfield structure, bringing on a defensive midfielder to shield the back four. But England already had two goals. And more importantly, England already had rhythm. When you lead 2-0 after 21 minutes, you do not need to attack. You just need to control. And England did that coldly. I tracked Kane throughout the match. He did not run much. He did not contest balls in midfield. He covered less than 8km, below the Premier League average for a striker. But he was in the right place at the right time. That is the difference between a good striker and a great one. Kane does not need the ball to score. He needs a moment. Bellingham was the opposite. He ran over 11km, completed 47 passes, and was involved in both goals. He was the link between midfield and attack. He was the one creating rhythm. When Bellingham had the ball, England had rhythm. When Bellingham did not have the ball, England still had rhythm, because he moved to create space. It was a complete performance from a midfielder at the highest level. In my notebook, I wrote: 'Bellingham is not an attacking midfielder. He is a rhythm-controlling midfielder. The difference is in his ability to choose his moments.' He does not try to create decisive passes in every situation. He waits. He observes. And when space appears, he exploits it. Croatia tried to come back in the second half. They had three shots on target in the first 15 minutes after the break. But they did not score. Andrej Kramaric, brought on at half-time, had two chances. But he is not a world-class striker. Croatia do not have a world-class striker. That is their problem. They have excellent midfielders, but they do not have a finisher. Over the past 10 years, Croatia have produced world-class midfielders. Modridić, Kovacic, Marcelo Brozovic, and more recently Luka Sucic. But they have not produced a striker capable of replacing Mario Mandzukic. That is a structural issue. Croatian football is built on technique and possession, not on pace and finishing. When they face a team that can counterattack quickly, they are decoded. England are the opposite. They have Kane, one of the greatest strikers in English football history. They have Bellingham, one of the best midfielders in the world. They have Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and Cole Palmer. They have a generation of talent at their peak. But they have not won a major trophy since 2026. That is the pressure their manager faces. This match does not change that. A win over Croatia in the Nations League is not a trophy. But it shows England can play in different ways. They can control possession. They can counterattack. They can press high. That is the flexibility they have lacked in major tournaments. In my notebook, I always have a column for 'rhythm.' Rhythm is not the number of passes or time in possession. Rhythm is the ability to change the tempo of the match at will. England changed the rhythm in Rijeka. They started at high speed, scored twice in 21 minutes, then slowed down to control the game. Croatia never found their rhythm. As I left the stadium in Rijeka, I thought about a question: Can England sustain this rhythm in a big match? They beat Croatia, but they still lost to Spain. They have not yet proven they can beat the top teams when the pressure is highest. But in Rijeka, they showed one thing: they can change rhythm. And in modern football, rhythm is the most dangerous weapon. Croatia face a different question: How do you replace a golden generation? Modridić will not play forever. Kovacic is 31. Gvardiol is a talent, but he needs a stable defence around him. Croatia need a rebuild. But that rebuild will take time. And in the Nations League, time waits for no one. In my notebook, I wrote the final line: 'Rijeka — where Croatia's rhythm was broken, and England's rhythm was found.' That is not a conclusion. It is a signal. And that signal will be verified in the months to come. The data from this match is only the surface. The depth is the question of identity. England are searching for their identity under a new manager. Croatia are trying to maintain theirs as the golden generation ages. Both teams are in transition. And in football, transition is never easy. I will track both teams in the coming rounds. I will take notes. I will cross-check. And I will wait for the next signal. Because in football, the truth is not in the goals. The truth is in the rhythm behind the goals.