How formidable is Tucher's defense? Zero goals conceded in World Cup qualifiers is no joke

England's biggest weapon this World Cup isn't Kane, isn't Bellingham, but that despair-inducing defense.

Since Tucher took over, he's done something incredible: winning all 8 World Cup qualifying matches, scoring 22 goals, and conceding 0. Notice, zero goals conceded. In 8 matches, opponents haven't even scored once. In warm-up games against New Zealand and Costa Rica, England continued their clean sheet victories. Such defensive stats are truly unique among the 32 teams in the World Cup.

Goalkeeper Pickford, though occasionally caught off guard, has never let the team down in major tournaments. In the backline, Stones and Consa are becoming more and more in sync as central defenders. The double midfielders, Rice and Anderson, cover a vast area with their interceptions. Under Tucher's coaching, this defensive system has become a finely tuned machine.

In contrast, Croatia has conceded in every one of their last 6 matches, giving up a total of 10 goals. They conceded 2 against Belgium and 3 against Brazil. Facing a team like England, with its rapid defensive counterattack transition, how long can Croatia's aging defense hold up? If England scores first and Croatia pushes forward to attack, England's counterattack will be even more deadly. Some betting companies have even offered odds on "Croatia scoring zero goals throughout the match." This isn't disrespect for Croatia; it's because England's defense truly has that confidence. #预测世界杯英格兰VS克罗地亚