|| Sports Correspondent: England and Croatia served up a captivating first-half spectacle in their crucial Group L clash at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with four goals shared evenly as the teams headed into halftime locked at 2-2.The match, played in Dallas on Thursday, began with England asserting control through an aggressive attacking approach. The breakthrough came in the 12th minute after Croatia captain Luka Modrić brought down Nuno Mendes inside the penalty area, prompting the referee to award a spot-kick.Harry Kane’s initial penalty was brilliantly saved by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković. However, the goalkeeper was adjudged to have moved off his line before the kick was taken, leading to a retake. Kane made no mistake with his second attempt, calmly converting to hand England a 1-0 lead.The goal marked Kane’s fifth non-shootout penalty goal in World Cup history, further strengthening his place among the tournament’s most prolific penalty scorers.Croatia gradually found their rhythm after conceding and drew level in the 36th minute through Martin Baturina. The midfielder unleashed a superb strike from outside the box, leaving the England goalkeeper with no chance and bringing his side back into the contest at 1-1.England responded swiftly. Shortly before the break, Kane struck again, rising highest to meet a corner kick and powering a header into the net to restore his team’s advantage at 2-1.Yet Croatia, recalling their memorable victory over England in the 2018 World Cup semifinal, refused to back down. In the closing moments of the first half, they launched a well-worked attacking move and found a dramatic equalizer to make it 2-2.With four goals, relentless attacking football, and momentum swinging between both sides, the contest has already emerged as one of the most entertaining matches of the tournament. As the teams prepare for the second half, all signs point to an enthralling battle for a vital three points.