For the first time in more than six months, Steve McClaren must have felt like breaking into a smile at half-time in Klagenfurt. Perhaps a wry smile, but a proper smile nonetheless; not that rictus grin he's been using in public since bowing out as England manager.
Strictly speaking, as a commentator for BBC radio, McClaren ought to have been neutral in matters between Croatia and Germany. But after watching Croatia's tame opening victory over Austria, and then seeing Russia thumped by Spain, it was beginning to look as if the two teams responsible for England's non-appearance at this event were going to make McClaren's life even more miserable by failing to put up a decent show.
Crossing Austria and Switzerland by public transport, spending far too much time on his mobile phone in media centres to convince anyone he is really chatting insouciantly to friends or potential employers back home, McClaren must have been questioning the wisdom of accepting Radio 5 Live's offer when he could have stayed at home behind closed curtains.
But you have to face the world some time and Croatia did not let him down. They gave the Germans the sort of game that must have had Joachim Löw and Michael Ballack thanking their lucky stars they didn't have to play them in qualifying. No question of accepting a draw because both teams would still probably emerge from the group, Croatia boldly went for the win and set about harrying Germany with their aggressive, physical style.
Vedran Corluka gave poor Marcell Jansen such a torrid time in the first half that the left-back did not make it out for the second period, his unhappiness no doubt compounded by his failure to prevent Darijo Srna's goal. Srna was determined though, like all his team-mates, and when Danijel Pranjic's perfect cross came fizzing over to the far post it would have taken a notable interception to stop him scoring.
After this result, some opinions might have to be revised about which team will go furthest from Group B. Like Germany, Croatia are practically playing at home. Their committed and vocal fans, who dominated nearly half the stadium, made their presence felt much more than their German counterparts.
And, of course, there is the Slaven Bilic factor. Or ''Slavering Bilic'', as someone remarked when he protested Josip Simunic's unnecessary booking a little too furiously. In comparison, Löw was practically a recluse in his dugout. Nico Kranjcar appeared to have grown a foot since his last appearance for Portsmouth, and played above his weight too. That's what Croatia's charismatic manager can do for a player. The team's huge determination and drive can make good opposition look insignificant. I'm not just talking about England here - the rest of Euro 2008 had better watch out.
