World Cup 2018: 5 Things We Learned From England's First Game
It's coming home?
Well, they did it. For the first time since 2006, England won their opening group stage fixture at the World Cup. Harry Kane's stoppage-time strike sent Three Lions fans into raptures and gave England plenty of reasons to be optimistic about qualifying for the knockout stage.
In fact, qualification could be assured in the team's next game against Panama, leaving the clash with Belgium as a potential decider for the top spot in the group. It's a great start for England, but the evening didn't pass quite as smoothly as it could have for Gareth Southgate's men.
The match had everything: a blistering start from the Three Lions, some controversial refereeing decisions, wasted chances, sluggish periods, and last-minute drama. Tunisia posed a stubborn test to England, but the most important thing of all was to secure the three points.
At a time when big guns like Germany and Brazil have already dropped points at the tournament, it was pleasing to see England get off to winning ways against the top-ranked African nation. Gareth Southgate will have learned a lot from the game, and so did we.
5. Kane Really Is World Class
Before the tournament got underway, a lot of talk was focused on Harry Kane. The 24-year-old has proven to be one of the best English strikers the world has seen in recent years, breaking records and setting the striking standard in the Premier League, but questions were still being asked of whether or not he could take his domestic form onto the international stage.
Especially after an injury curtailed the end of Kane's domestic season, fans worried he might not be in the best shape to make his World Cup bow. The Tottenham man's only other appearance at a major tournament came at Euro 2016, where he was primarily tasked with taking corners and had little influence on England's miserable campaign.
Fortunately for England, Kane was at his brilliant best against Tunisia. He only needed three shots throughout the game to score two fantastic goals and never stopped trying to make things happen for his team.
Kane could even be seen at several points throughout the match dropping deep, collecting passes from defenders and helping out the midfield, bringing teammates into play and attempting to really make his mark on the game. He's set his sights on the Golden Boot award, and if he carries on like this, it might not be an unrealistic expectation.