Downtown Dallas has been drowned in a sea of white as 10,000 England fans flew ‘across the pond’ ahead of tonight’s World Cup opener against Croatia, bellowing “Football’s Coming Home” in the sweltering Texas heat. Gary Taylor, 64, from Harold Wood, Essex, said: “We’ve been waiting for so long. We’re so excited we finally have our first game.” Many made the short walk to the notorious ‘grassy knoll’ where President Kennedy was shot.
But the carnival was punctured by shock news from England’s Kansas City HQ yesterday: Tino Livramento’s World Cup dream ended by an injury in training, with former Chelsea teammate Trevor Chalobah immediately called up as a replacement. England held their final training session in Kansas before flying to Dallas, where they are staying at a downtown hotel that housed the Netherlands squad earlier this week. Manager Thomas Tuchel has taken the same suite used by Dutch boss Ronald Koeman – the pair are fierce rivals, and Koeman had criticised England’s tactics shortly before the tournament.
“England fans flood Dallas as World Cup opener against Croatia kicks off, with Tuchel facing a grudge match.”
Croatia, who have “dished out enough hurt to England over the years”, represent a huge opportunity for Tuchel to make a statement. The match kicks off at 9pm in the 80,000-seat Dallas Cowboys stadium, which FIFA bosses have ordered to be played with the roof closed and the air conditioning on. “The stadium is unbelievable,” said Taylor, keeping cool inside the City Tavern on Elm Street. “The noise will be fantastic.”
FIFA believe another 15,000 ex-pats have snapped up tickets, hoping to turn the arena into a Wembley-like cauldron. Fans have been arriving by planes, trains and automobiles – and now all that remains is for Tuchel’s side to prove they can exorcise decades of Croatian torment.