世界杯小组赛：凯恩梅开二度，英格兰四比二在六球大战中击败顽强的克罗地亚

England beat Croatia four to two — without doubt one of the most thrilling matches of this World Cup so far.

Six goals in a single match, the lead changing hands several times and the score rewritten over and over, left everyone, in front of their screens and in the stadium alike, crying out in sheer delight.

Before the match, England were widely favored; they're one of this World Cup's acknowledged title contenders.

This squad is packed with stars, and the one drawing the most attention was, without doubt, Kane, both forward and captain.

Kane is a world-class finisher with a fierce eye for goal, and for years he has sat firmly atop England's all-time scoring charts.

And their opponents in this match, Croatia, were likewise a team by no means to be underestimated.

This is an immensely experienced old powerhouse that has gone far at the last several World Cups.

Their squad boasts plenty of battle-hardened veterans who, whatever the opponent, never give in easily.

So before the match, almost everyone knew this would by no means be an easy game.

This match was held at a large stadium in Texas, USA, the ground packed to capacity and the atmosphere electric.

After kickoff, England quickly seized the initiative on the pitch.

By just the 12th minute, they had won a precious penalty.

The one who stepped up to take it was the team's captain, Kane.

Facing the keeper without the slightest haste, he calmly slotted it home, the ball finding the net, and England took a one-nil lead.

For a battle-hardened player like Kane, taking a penalty like this is almost second nature.

And this early goal also let England play with ever more confidence and composure.

However, Croatia did not panic because of it.

As an old, established power with deep pedigree, falling a goal behind was far from enough to throw them into self-inflicted disarray.

In the 36th minute, their player Baturina seized a chance and calmly leveled the score.

One to one — the match was back at the same starting line.

This goal once again reminded England: against Croatia, you can never afford to relax at any moment.

But Kane clearly was nowhere near having had enough.

In the 42nd minute, he found the net again, scoring his second of the day.

Two to one — England regained the lead.

And just as everyone thought England would carry this lead into the dressing room, a dramatic scene appeared.

In first-half stoppage time, Croatia's forward Musa struck again, leveling the score once more.

Two to two — in just one half, the two teams had combined for as many as four goals.

A first half this explosive and turbulent is quite rare even across the entire history of the World Cup.

The fans in the stands were extraordinarily excited, because a match like this was simply so full of action, so exhilarating.

The two sides traded blows, the score rewritten time and again, with neither willing to yield in the slightest.

At half-time, almost everyone was guessing inside: just how many more goals would the second half bring?

However, the second half had only just begun when England struck once more.

Almost the instant the ball was kicked off, they launched an incisive attack.

In the 47th minute, the young star Bellingham stepped up to score England's vitally important third goal.

Three to two — England took the lead for the third time.

And this time, Croatia found leveling again clearly far harder than before.

As the second half wore on, England gradually took firm control of the match's rhythm.

Their spells of possession grew longer and longer, and they created more threatening chances.

Although Croatia still fought back hard, their players' stamina and pace gradually began to fall short.

As the minutes ticked away, their attacks grew less and less able to truly threaten England's goal.

Meanwhile, England's goalkeeper Pickford also produced several crucial saves.

It was precisely on the strength of his steady, reliable performance that England managed to firmly hold on to their lead.

In the 85th minute, the substitute Rashford added the icing on the cake with another goal for the team.

This goal, scored by a substitute, also reflected, from another angle, this England team's outstanding squad depth.

Four to two — England had thereby completely sealed this hard-won victory.

As the final whistle sounded, the entire England team could hardly conceal their inner excitement.

With a thoroughly satisfying win, they got their World Cup journey off to a rather fine start.

Kane scored a brace, once again proving to everyone his value as a top-class finisher.

When the team needs him most, he can always step up with a goal — and that's precisely the most precious quality of a top forward.

Of course, despite losing the match, Croatia won everyone's respect all the same.

They leveled the score twice, fully displaying the resilience and backbone befitting an established power.

It's just that in overall quality and squad depth, today's England really did have the edge.

After the match, this stirring clash quickly became the focal talking point.

Some sighed that this was the best match of this World Cup so far.

Others believed that England, in such outstanding form, has a real chance to go further in this tournament.

Actually, this is exactly where the World Cup's greatest appeal lies.

Some matches are dull and locked, with goals few; while others have goals pouring in, full of twists, gripping from start to finish.

A goal-fest like today's, with both sides trading blows, undoubtedly belongs to the kind fans find hardest to forget.

For England, taking a big win in their opener both secured three points and rediscovered their attacking touch and confidence.

For Croatia, losing the opener is indeed a bit of a shame, but the group stage has only just begun, and everything in the future is still possible.

As long as they can make their defending more solid, they will remain a highly competitive team.

For an experienced old powerhouse like this, quickly recovering from a defeat is actually not difficult.

A four-two game, with both the brilliance of a superstar and the defiance of a strong team — this is exactly the World Cup's own unique magic.

I'm sure this thoroughly satisfying goal-fest will be one that countless fans savor for a long time to come.

And for those neutral viewers, getting to witness a match like this with their own eyes is itself already a rare treat.

And it is precisely these matches, one after another full of suspense and passion, that together form the most moving backdrop of the World Cup.

Alright, that's the whole story of this England versus Croatia match. Until next time.