Dalić: Croatia's Set-Piece Defense Was the Worst Under My Leadership

Croatia's head coach, Zlatko Dalić, stated that his team's defensive performance on set pieces during their World Cup Group L opener against England was the worst since he took charge. This poor showing occurred despite extensive prior preparation to counter such threats.

Harry Kane netted twice in the first half. His opening goal came from a penalty after Luka Modrić fouled Noni Madueke while attempting to clear a corner. For his second, Kane was left unmarked in the box following another corner kick and headed it home.

"We knew everything that was going to happen, we worked on it. I don't remember ever having such tall players, but never under my leadership have we defended so poorly from set pieces. In the first half, they didn't create many chances from open play, apart from a few situations involving Madueke. Everything came from set pieces. From eight corners, they had six clear chances, despite all the videos and emphasis on their strengths from corners and set pieces," Dalić said the day after the match, as quoted by Reuters.

Croatia responded positively to both of Kane's goals, leveling the score before halftime. However, their efforts were in vain when Jude Bellingham restored England's lead just two minutes into the second half.

"The third goal killed us. After that, we couldn't do anything. We even tried to change the system, but it's hard to come back so many times. We lost to a faster, more aggressive, and better opponent," he added.

Dalić, who has been at the helm of the Croatian national team since 2017, typically employs a back four but opted for a three-man defense against England – a setup he had tested in recent friendlies. This decision, he insisted, was not the reason for the loss.

"Against an opponent of such quality, you cannot expect a good result when you gift them three goals. The first goal came out of nowhere, the second one too. The problem isn't the formation. You have to defend your goal with your life. This was our worst defensive performance on set pieces since I became coach. I assembled a team with tall players, but it was as if they weren't even there," Dalić stated.

Croatia will face Panama in Toronto on June 24 (Wednesday) at 2:00 AM Bulgarian time in the second round of Group L of the 2026 World Cup.