Thomas Tuchel has said the occasion and tension will bring the best out of England when they open their World Cup campaign with an \u00adawkward game against Croatia on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
England cruised through \u00adqualifying, but have a patchy record against top opposition and much to prove before their first encounter in Group L. They have faced top-20 sides on three occasions under Tuchel, drawing with Uruguay<\/a> and losing to Japan <\/a>and Senegal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Yet Tuchel is confident \u00adEngland will have a different mindset in a competitive game. The German cannot wait for his first World Cup<\/a> to begin and believes his side will be ready for the challenge posed by \u00adCroatia under the Dallas Stadium roof.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it\u2019s not a friendly match, we will not try stuff,\u201d England\u2019s head coach said. \u201cWe will rely on us and the occasion and the tension will bring out the best in us.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuchel\u2019s aim is for England to play <\/a>with the intensity of a Premier League side. \u201cWe should play brave and play to the strengths of the players,\u201d he said. \u201cI feel clearly that the players want it and that they are successful in club football like this.<\/p>\n Noni Madueke, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Jordan Henderson and Bukayo Saka step up the pace during England\u2019s World Cup training camp in Kansas City. Photograph: Eddie Keogh\/The FA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cThey compete in the \u00adstrongest league, most of them. The others who are not in the league \u00adcompete in the highest level in Europe and \u00adChampions League and they play in brave and active teams. It makes things excited and creates a \u00adcertain energy and we need a connection with our fans who are here, with the fans at home, to create something\u00a0special.\u201d<\/p>\n England\u2019s carefully planned buildup involved them \u00adacclimatising to the heat by flying to a Florida for a pre-tournament training camp two weeks ago. They have stepped up preparations at their base in Kansas City<\/a> and Tuchel, who is expected to start Jude Bellingham over Morgan Rogers at No 10, feels his players require no special messaging about their World Cup starting here.<\/p>\n \u201cThey know,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t feel any emotional fuel is needed to make everyone clear what is happening. We know.<\/p>\n \u201cI see it even as an advantage that we\u2019re very focused on what we can influence. We don\u2019t put it in the \u00adbigger picture \u2013 just put it where it is. Go day by day, influence what you can \u00adinfluence. If we can stay there, I think we have an even \u00adbetter chance to compete and perform on our highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n Ivan Perisic scores Croatia\u2019s equaliser in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, despite Kyle Walker\u2019s efforts. Photograph: Darren Staples\/Reuters<\/p>\n England could overpower an \u00adageing Croatia side, but they must be wary of the craft of Mateo Kovacic and the 40-year-old Luka Modric in midfield. The 37-year-old Ivan \u00adPerisic is another danger and scored in \u00adCroatia\u2019s semi-final win<\/a> over \u00adEngland at the 2018 World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is a very difficult start,\u201d Tuchel said. \u201cIt is an experienced team, an experienced coach, in tournament knockout football. It\u2019s a top football nation and a very strong opponent. The centre of gravity in their game has dropped a bit, into a back three, we expect.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a midfield three, which was the core of Croatia<\/a>, it has only Kovacic and Modric still there. They\u2019re \u00adplaying in a midfield two now. They play with fluid No 10s and wing-backs. But the core is still Modric and Kovacic.<\/p>\n \u201cThen they have Perisic, who is always a threat with the crosses. That is one of the most dangerous crossers in world football, maybe \u2013 left foot, right foot, he does not even need space to put a cross in. It is \u00adremarkable. And they are strong in set pieces\u201d.<\/p>\n England have been working on their own set-pieces and looked in good shape when they thrashed Costa Rica last week<\/a>.<\/p>\n