Midknight...I eh watch the game backwards nah. England may have gotten booed in the first half but that 2nd half performance was pathetic. In the 1st half, England was still moving the ball around, playing with some level of tactical awareness. At least they were passing the ball on the floor and with intent into a man feet. Joe Cole and SWP get plenty touches going forward and ran at defenders. Even Wayne bridge was getting forward repeatedly. 2nd half..W Bridge eh make a note in the attack. Compare how many touches in attack SWP had compared to Becks. becks had a nice assist on crouch goal, but he was far more prominent in defense than attack. Compare the number of free kicks England had in and around the box in the 1st half due to some good combination play.... 2nd half Engalnd had no build up play on the flanks, and there was no attempt to pass the ball to feet and once Joe Cole came off..noone to run at defenders. Except for a early flourish in the 2nd half..it was all boom from England. they get a lucky penalty and a goal on the break to disguise it. They even quiet down the Croatian attack for a good 10-15 minutes. But any attempts to play football went out the window..Jermaine De Foe eh touch the ball yet cuz every ball into him was a good 2 feet above his head, not a pass into his feet. And doh talk about after they score the 2nd goal..it was panic time. Launch it from anywhere. Poor poor 2nd half imo. And Richards play wing back all game, so I eh too sure what you mean. but dat is football..watch the same game..see two different things.... 
I should have said 'start getting forward' and not 'start playing wing back about Richards' - I get tie up with a statement the commentator say about him finally playing LIKE a wing back and thus creating more chaos in the Croatian box in the first part of the second half.
Ah have to admit that I had a nice 10 minute blank somewhere in between the 25 and 35th minute cause I get a phone call and was a bit distracted. But where I coming from, is I ent see England get the ball into the croatian box once during that time. If you call 'playing football' knocking the ball around in between your own defenders and defensive mids when you down 0-2 at home after 15 minutes, then yes, England was playing football in the first half. To me it look like they couldn't figure out the angles, and nobody seemed capable of getting past their man; everytime the ball start to get close to the box, it get cut out or intercept by one of the fellas in the blue picnic tablecloths, and the strange thing was I remember asking mihself if the Croatians were giving them the ball back for spite just to frustrate them.
In the second half, Richards playing higher/running harder a few times allowed him to get past a few men, even if his crosses weren't always on point. Beckham may have been more prominent in defense as you say, but I remember thinking how healthy the dose of respect the Croatian defensive mids/wingers were giving him every time he had the ball going forward. Thats what allowed him to swing in that cross and about 2 or 3 other potentially dangerous ones.
Ah agree with you on Defoe not getting the ball to feet, but I put that down to the Croatian boxing out having worked to maximum efficiency in the first half. You can't keep doing the same thing (repeat first half tactics) the same way and expect different results, and that would explain the change in tactics.
I guess we just disagree on what you call boom kick football. For me, not because the ball in the air is boom kick. short crosses into the box is something completely different from long passes from out of the defence onto the "control tower" striker. The main difference in between the two halves for me is that England actally look like they was TRYING TO SCORE and not simply TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE BALL. You could put it down to a drop in gears of the Croatian defensive midfield.
Ah agree with you that they start sh*tting down they pants after they equalise though. Didn't know what to do with the ball at all at all.
As you say though, that is football, no 2 people apprehend things the same way. Which is why is ah art and not a science
