World Cup: Kane & Bellingham Put On A Show

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1:06Discover the V-Series lineup at cadillac.com. The Football Daily Podcast at the People World Cup 2026 with Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith. And we are up and running. England got their first win of the tournament 4-2 against Croatia. It feels good, doesn't it, Lloyd? It feels very good. I mean, it was a lot of stress. But first off, we were reasonably stressed. Which we will talk about later. Now, we are in Ye Olde King's Head as normal, but we're in a slightly different location today because, as you can imagine, this is the main English pub in Santa Monica. It is. It was absolutely rammed, and they weren't prepared to give us a section of their pub, which I understand.

1:52Completely understandable. So we have filmed already earlier on in, well, basically a shop, the sort of back of a shop. Yeah, so Ye Olde Kingshead, as a few sections, it's basically got like the sports bar, the main bit. Then they've got a little restaurant area. Then they've got a little tea room, like an afternoon tea room, which is quite regal, which is what we're in now. That's what we're in now. And then there's also a gift shop, a Ye Olde Kingshead gift shop. And so we were in the back of that next to the fridges with the drinks and the cakes. Yeah, basically eye level with a Bakewell tart.

2:25Yeah. And then actually mouth level with a Bakewell tart, because we both had a Bakewell tart. And now belly level with a Bakewell tart. There was a lot of people coming in and stocking up, actually. I was quite surprised. And then just seeing two blokes by a fridge speaking to an Exingdon goalkeeper. Yeah, it's fairly... I mean, it's all quite surreal, isn't it? Very surreal. We actually watched the game in a different bar. Jameson's, just up the road. Irish bar. Very nice. quite weirdly when we arrived we thought it was good because we'd been past and seen people watching games and it's been we cycle past every day yeah and so we were like oh that'd be a really good place and to go for a bit of variety and when we turned up and we turned up probably an hour or so before kick off and we thought well there's no one here and we were about to turn around then another couple of English lads just came over and said oh no this will be good it's just they all turn up sort of at that at the whistle but it meant that we got fantastic seats in this pub and then it did get really, really busy and then it was I mean it was brilliant It was brilliant It was a really great really great pub loads of atmosphere loads of English fans in there and some Croatian fans and some Croatian fans yes It made a bit of noise It was great It was really great to experience an England game in America In an Irish pub There was a lot going on There was a lot going on And we had a great time.

3:53I mean, it was quite a nerve-wracking game, as I said, at the start. Obviously, the first half more so than the second. And there was a load of Americans in there as well, just enjoying it. But most people were supporting England. I didn't see many just sort of casual observers. Yeah, there was a few just to your left. I didn't look to my left at any point. Oh, did you not? No, no. I was absolute eyes on the screen. there's a funny thing that Simon Peach who's the chief football writer at the press association said booze ring around the ground as the teams go off for the Powerade hydration break in an air conditioned stadium under a roof and it is sort of ridiculous but there was a wonderful moment where you needed to we were drinking non-alcoholic lager we were to try and sort of get into the spirit of it but without actually drinking obviously because we're professional and And after about 20 minutes, you're like, oh, I really need to, you know.

4:49And I was like, the hydration break. I suddenly realised it's perfect. It was absolutely perfect. So whilst the players are taking on liquids, I'm doing the opposite. Yeah. To be fair, it's great. I mean, it's not great. It's not. It isn't great, I think, for the game. It isn't great. It is great if you're in a pub and you need a little whittle. It's in a pub if you've had a couple of pints of non-alcoholic lager and you need to go to the restrooms, as they call them over here. A hydration break is just the perfect amount of time. Every single time I was in and out within whatever that allocated time was.

5:23It's basically the equivalent. I'm not sure if you did. Did you go to Oasis last year? No. If you'd have gone to Oasis last year, it was essentially the equivalent of when they played Bring It On Down. When everyone was like, really? And in we go. You're missing out She's Electric. But you're like, okay, fine. And then you just saw 10 ,000 men going for a wee and then running back for cigarettes and alcohol, sliding down the steps and getting concussions. So that's what it was. In the second hydration break, in the second half, I think a lot of blokes got wise to it. Yeah, they did. And I was like, hydration.

5:55So I just ran off. I went under the table, got there. And then when I got back, there was a bit of a keel. You did get under the table, didn't you? I did, yeah. I did a lot of parkour. Parkour wasn't the first thing I thought of, actually. Was it not? No. Okay. Did you want to mention something before we get stuck into the England game, which is we spoke to Paul Robinson and John Murray yesterday to build up to the England game. And in the course of the discussion, there was obviously speculation about what the starting line-up would be. And I asked you the perfectly reasonable question, Lloyd, what would your starting XI be?

6:28Yeah. And, well, I mean, take it from here, really. Well, to be fair, we were interviewing John Murray and Paul Robinson, who are experts. Yes. we're men in a bar. Yes. You know, letting people know what the vibe is in America and watching the games. In a tea room. In a tea room. And watching games is three of them more than in England that nobody wants to watch. And then instead of asking Paul Robinson or John Murray what they think the starting level is, he just turned to me and was like, Lloyd, what do you think the starting level should be? And I was like, oh, crikey. And I wasn't really prepared for it.

6:59No, you weren't. And so I did my Jordan Pickford in goal, Nick O 'Reilly. I then said John Stones, Mark Gahey. And then I said, Rhys James. Absolutely fine. Yeah, and I said, Nonny Madiwaki. At which point, you, John and Paul all just laughed. Laughed at me. Well, it was more the fact you said Madiwaki and Saka. Which can happen. Okay. I said Saka. I said Saka. Sure, I said Saka. And then I panicked a little bit. I went, Madiwaki? And then I was like, oh, crikey. And then you started to sweat. To sweat. And then you went red and I could see you panicking. And I could just see John looking at me going, oh I don't mind being judged by your average podcast listener not a problem if they want to send me a little bit of abuse on Twitter going are you alright but to see John Murray going and your friend Paul Robinson as well oh I don't care what he thinks he was a critic I've got a lot I've got a lot more dirt on him than he has on me picking Maduaki and Saka okay so I was like oh crikey so I was like right can we stop I panicked there can we just edit it out or I'll do it again And he was like, we'll just not put it in.

8:07Fine, fair enough. And then what happens? Mad awake, he starts. Yeah. And you're immediately on the phone to Lizzie saying, can we get that back in somehow? Hey, have we still got that? She went, no, because you didn't complete it because you panicked. You only said eight players. I was like, okay, yeah. You did only say eight players. She's from Liverpool, just in case anyone was wondering. Oh, I think that was very clear from that. But she spent a lot of time in Sunderland. Yeah. Well, let's bring in Paul Robinson. Great game for the neutral. Quite stressful for us as England fans, particularly in the first half.

8:35What was your assessment of the game? I think looking back now on it, I think it's a really good performance from England. I think it's an excellent start to the tournament. I don't think we can underestimate the calibre of opponent that they were playing against, playing against one of the top 10 teams in the world, a team that have won a medal at the last two World Cups. They're an experienced side. And from an England point of view, I think there was a lot of positives that they can take from that game tonight, a lot more positives than negatives. We always genuinely, generally focus on negatives and that's what makes the headlines.

9:03But I think the positives far outweigh the negatives in this game and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it. Harry Kane picked up from where he left off in the season. We spoke yesterday about him. How confident do you think he is and how good was he today? Lloyd, he was excellent. He was, I mean, we saw him in a press conference last night and the way that he handled himself in that press conference, it just shows the stature of the man, the way he's progressed as a person and a player. I mean, you look at the numbers that he's posted this season for Bayern Munich, but it's not just this season. It's season in, season out.

9:33is numbers that he's posted for England on a regular basis. And I spoke before about Jude Bellingham, about he is not indispensable. Harry Kane is indispensable for England. That's how important he is. I use the word Captain Marvel, like Brian Robson in commentary, because he scored his two goals, but he didn't want to talk about that at the end. He wanted to talk about the team. He scored his two goals, and then in the last five minutes of the game, he's inside his own six-yard box, making a block with his chest to save a third Croatian goal. He's so important to England. is pivotal to England, both on and off the field.

10:05He's one of those players you look at in the dressing room and you know you've got a chance when he's playing. I thought England looked really good up top, really good in the final third. In the first half in particular, we just looked a bit shaky at the back, a bit vulnerable. Like when we were trying to play it out, it just wasn't really happening. And we looked a bit nervous, I thought. Yeah, understandably so. I mean, it's the first game of a World Cup. The nerves are there. You know, there's pressure, there's expectation, there's anticipation and footballers aren't immune from nerves having been in that situation myself I know exactly what it's like we had a nervy 1-0 win against Paraguay in our first game of the World Cup and it wasn't a great performance whereas the performance there at times England will learn from that early on in the game there's a time and a place to start playing out from the back the risk and reward the reward you get as far as the risk you take sometimes isn't worth it it's not worth playing out the back in those situations but Thomas Tuchel was so animated down there on the touchline the whole game he wanted the players to get wider he wanted them to spread out he wanted them to play and play through the lines and one of their outlets was actually Harry Kane dropping in when Harry Kane dropped in the two wide players Anthony Gordon and Maduweki they hit the line and you know with Kane being right footed it was nine times out of ten the ball was coming to this near side to Maduweki and it was a real avenue of joy for them in the first half they were getting a lot of joy playing that way but you can understand the nerves in the first half early on in the game Duke Bellingham really showed up tonight especially in the second half there's been a lot of noise around him and his role within the team.

11:32And he spoke to Kelly Summers after the game about how he's been dealing with that. It's been a bit of a tougher season for me, but I feel fresh, I feel sharp and strong. And I think I've got a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. Do you play Vespa when you're like that? I think so, yeah. I think that helps me a lot to find that focus early in the game, to find that intensity. I know it's part of being a footballer. I don't disgrudge or hold a grudge against anyone who says bad things about me because sometimes I do deserve it. And today I think it was nice to try and show people and remind people what I'm about.

12:04What did you think of Jude Bellingham tonight? I thought he showed the exact reason that Thomas Tuchel chose to start him, in all honesty. And I think the way that he's handled him this season, I think he's had to make him a team player. And I think when you listen to the post-match interviews from both the manager and from Bellingham, there's a lot of references to not being an individual, to being a team player, to being part of a group. And I think with hindsight, looking back this season, and that's how he's handled him. I think he's left him out of squads, he's dropped him from starting 11s, and he's made him realise that there are other players that can function in that team, and he's not the main star attraction.

12:38And I think when you've got a Jude Bellingham with his attitude, his application, and he's playing to that level, the way that Thomas Tuchel's managed him this year, this season, if you like, you can see he's reaping his rewards with that type of performance, because he's a big game player, he's a big moments player, and the goal that he scored. Let's not take away from Nani Maduecki as well from the goal that Jude Bellingham scored. It was a fantastic ball through from Elliot Anderson. But actually, Maduweki realised that Bellingham had run into his space. And then he ran off into the 18-yard box and took two of the Croatian defenders with him that allowed Bellingham the space to then go on and get that goal.

13:11He still had a lot to do, but it was a really good team goal. And I think that's the emphasis that England are. Anthony Gordon was interviewed after the game. Thomas Tuchel, Noni Maduweki and Jude Bellingham. None of them were getting too high. They're all pleased saying there's work to be done. but one big emphasis, one key word that kept coming out of it was the group, the team. There's a real emphasis on the togetherness of this group and that's what Tuchel's trying to get into them. I will point out that whilst we were watching that and Jude Bellingham was going forward, Rick was screaming for him to square it and pass it.

13:40So, just want to put that out there on record if that's okay. Yeah, absolutely right. Thomas Tuchel spoke to John Murray about how he came to that, I think, difficult decision between Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rodgers. It's an easy decision to have Jude in the team. It's a very difficult decision to let Morgan Rogers out for what he did for Aston Villa and especially also for me and for us since I'm in charge. so that was the tough one. I'm very happy also of how Jude played, because Jude knows that he does not have to do it alone, can rely on the others. He thrives in these circumstances, we know that, but he can be more economic, he can rely on others, he needs to be a reliable team player, which he absolutely was in the last 17 days and today.

14:31So well done. and the guys from the bench were amazing. We can rely on them at the moment and it has to stay like this the next week because we will need everyone. So it does feel now, Paul, like they've kind of, I don't want to say kissed and made up because I don't know if they ever... It feels like couples therapy. They've had couples therapy and they've come out the other end of it and it all seems, we're fine. We're absolutely fine. Yeah. And it's working. It's very harmonious at the moment, yeah. And when you listen to the words of Jude Bellingham and the manager, they're both singing from the same song sheet, if you like, aren't they?

15:02They're in the same place. And I think it was important for the manager to make Jude realise that he was part of a group. He wasn't the main attraction. He wasn't the star attraction. He was part of the group. And I think when you use Harry Kane as the example, you know, he's the biggest star of that team and he's the biggest one that wants the group mentality and the team mentality. And you look at the squad that he used today, the substitutes was another really impressive thing as well. I mean, he had the opportunity to bring off Madowiecki, he brought off Jude Bellingham, he brought off Declan Rice, you know, I was surprised when he brought off Declan Rice, but then he talks about utilising the squad and the players that he brought on, Gaye, Saka, Rodgers and Rashford, all of them were in a conversation before this game that they could have potentially started the game and one really impressive thing that Thomas Tuchel did for me today was he made substitutions that affected the game, but he made substitutions at a stage in the game where he could have chosen to go defensively when they're winning 3-2, We've seen managers change to a back five and sit with the holding midfielders.

16:00But what he did was he made offensive changes. He realised that England's strength was in the final third of the field. And he made changes that not only affected the game, but allowed England to go and get that fourth goal, which sealed the win. I think we're going to see an exciting England. They stuck to their identity. Even when they had their backs to the wall, he made changes, not to defend, but to get them out of that situation and to go and get another goal. I think it's going to be an exciting ride this tournament for England. Did you have any sympathy for the Croatian goalkeeper with the retaken penalty, Paul?

16:29Well, he broke the loss. No, absolutely not whatsoever. Hard line from Robinson. That's what VAR is there for. Finally, we talk about VAR every week, week in and week out in the Premier League. We're all moaning about VAR. There you go. We've got a little bit back from VAR. In the first 10 minutes of the game, we get another chance to take a penalty. I'm all for VAR. It's marvellous. Harry Kane was saying he took a similar penalty against Atalanta where he does the stutter because he knows that the keeper is going to do that. Now that he's come out and said that, presumably all the goalkeepers, if he does take another penalty in this tournament, are going to be like, well, we're not going to do that now.

17:04Well, the thing is with Harry Kane, he's very, very intelligent because you know the work that goalkeepers do now. You look at the research with all the talk about the water bottles. And now more than ever, it's a mind game between goalkeepers and strikers or defenders, whoever's coming up to take the penalty, because the striker knows that you've done all the homework. He knows where your favourite side is. But at the same time, he also knows that you know that he's, he knows that you know type thing. So it's a mind game. So the amount of different penalties that you can take as a striker, for Harry Kane to have that in his armoury, it's only good because I guarantee you now, his next penalty, it won't be exactly the same as that one.

17:38But, you know, you give him the credit and where he is in his own self and with his game and how confident he is. He took exactly the same penalty and went in exactly the same corner, but just executed it better than he did the first one. The second goal, it's a great corner from Declan Rice. It's a great header from Harry Kane. But why is no one picking him up? Well, they changed that actually, Croatia, if you look at the game. They marked zonely for the first three or four England corners. They marked zonely. And after that goal, they changed for the rest of the game. They went to more man-to-man marking.

18:11they did still have players in zones but after that it was like closing the gate when the horse was bolted it was such a simple set play routine we talk every week about set plays in the Premier League but actually a set play you can have all the intricate movements you can have all the jostling in the box a set play is nothing without the delivery and the delivery from Declan Rice was superb and the timing of Harry Kane's run and the placement of the header it looked so simple but there was a lot that went into it Just because you dug me out for saying square it, square it to Bellingham OK, here we go.

18:41You asked why was no one picking up Harry Kane for that header. What did I say? You said they're marking zonally, which I do get. And, Paul, I agree. And I did notice that they were... I'm not a complete idiot. But even if you are marking zonally, OK, you're defending zonally, if there's Harry Kane on the edge of the box, surely someone goes, maybe one of us gets it. We'll do the rest zonally, but surely one of us just keeps an eye on him. Is that not the case, Paul? And then leaves their zone. You wouldn't identify Harry Kane as England's best header when you look at the size of the team. I looked at the team.

19:13I mean, there's only Rhys James and Elliot Anderson in that side that were under six foot. They're a big, strong attacking side. I mean, if you're going to mark man to man, you mark John Stones, Konza, O 'Reilly. O 'Reilly in the second half had a free header at the far post, remember, from a set play. England worked the set play as well, and they're a very, very difficult, big, physical side to pick up. Yes, Harry Kane, he had the run of the Croatian box. and actually in their defence, when you're marking zonely, your body's got to be half open because you are looking at the ball coming in. But if somebody's arriving into your space quicker than you are and meets the ball first, it's very, very difficult to defend against.

19:48But it's about the delivery. Can I ask about Croatia's first goal? We lose it in the middle of the park, which isn't great. And then they quite quickly create the chance. It's a great strike. Is Jordan Pickford going to be a little bit disappointed because he got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out. Yeah, he will be disappointed. I said that in commentary when you look at it first because we're in a really elevated position up here. So you don't necessarily often see things at first glance. And actually when you saw the replay, and I heard Joe Hart talking earlier on the iPlayer show talking about this World Cup football because we've seen a lot of goals going from distance.

20:26You look at the Argentina game yesterday with Messi and the goal against Edouard Mendy. He's a quality goalkeeper in the French game. There's been one or two occasions where this football has maybe not necessarily behaved as you would expect it to. Now, I'm not saying that's the reason that he didn't save it. I'm just saying there's something to maybe keep an eye on because this game was played in an enclosed stadium with air conditioning. Those conditions are going to affect the ball. Mexico in altitude is going to affect the ball. Playing in Boston and New York with the heat and the humidity, they're all conditions to take an effect.

20:59And when we're talking about fine, fine margins, it may be something to keep an eye on. Now, I'm not making excuses because I think I completely agree with you. It looks like he went underneath the ball with his hand and it hit the top of his hand rather than the flat palm we'd have expected him to make the save. But if there's a reason for that, then we maybe can look into it even more. But I do think he'll be disappointed with the surface that he got on the ball. I think he was unsighted, Paul. Absolute nonsense. As a professional goalkeeper, Lloyd, what's your opinion? Yeah, no, I just think he was slightly unsighted.

21:26I don't think he was expecting a shot to come from there. a shot shouldn't have come from there and you saw from his reaction but I do think that he didn't fully have the shot in his sights and dived quite late because he wasn't aware he was coming and then Rick's looking at me like I haven't got a clue but I think you'd agree with me there won't you Paul please agree with me he's not the only one I think that's everything from Paul actually I thought I enjoyed that thanks Paul cheers guys thanks

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22:51I'm Steve Bratnell host of Games Gone the Steve Bratnell podcast what's my favourite World Cup moment as a fan I have to say Michael Owen skinning the hole of the Argentina defence and cracking it in top corner for a very short space of time I believe

23:12my favourite World Cup player in history it won't be popular but I'm going to say Diego Maradona alright he handballed it but the guy was a complete genius the People World Cup 2026 listen on BBC Sounds the football day at the People World Cup 2026 with Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith live from LA well let's go from one pro to another Steve Bracknell Royal Oak Manager joins us now direct from good lord direct from his bed why are you in bed? I want an answer to that question I don't know what time it is in Los Angeles but Fort Worth, Dallas it's getting on a bit Are you stalkers? No, no, I've got boxer shorts on but I've got air conditioning on and it's freezing in this van Van?

24:03I'm very confused Are you in a van? Our van? The greatest day of my life today and it's ended with me laying in a double bed at the back of the van can you remember when you went to school as a kid and they had Greek day and your mother would wrap you up in a tablecloth and put a crown on your head it's a toga I look like that you do actually certainly certainly very regal toga that's it a toga I knew there was a name for it so talk me through your day then Steve greatest day of your life oh for years and years I think I came out of my mum's will be mum yeah Dreaming of World Cups I've loved football since as old as I can remember and today first time in my life I saw England play at a World Cup finals.

24:57I was crying as soon as I got in ground I was crying when I left it if I carry on on this call I might cry now Steve can you talk us through the vibe what is it like in Dallas, what it was like in the stadiums. Well I've been here for a week and I've immersed myself in local culture. I went horse riding, I went line dancing, I had Texan barbecue, really nice, really nice welcome. But then last 24 hours, England fans arrived and it just felt like I were in Blackpool, to be honest. And I like Blackpool, no wrong with Blackpool, but I've never been in Blackpool when it's 110 degrees or whatever it is over here.

25:40Are you getting a lot of attention? A lot of people recognising you, Steve? Oh, I'll tell you who like me. Mexicans love me. I don't know why, but Mexicans, I think there's a real niche in market for a Sunday League football club, a Mexican branch at Royal Oak fan base. They seem to just really understand me. But it's been, honestly, it's been fantastic. We had a vote this morning. Should we have a Mexican breakfast or waffles? I felt waffles were a bit too heavy for this eat so we went for a Mexican breakfast and then we walked to what they call Texas Live which is a big complex opposite the stadium and there must have been 7 ,000 English fans I think I've heard Wonderwall about 25 times today but there's never too many times to listen to Wonderwall I've heard Angels six times, I'm sick of that A.