England had to wait an hour longer than expected to get underway against Costa Rica in their final World Cup warm-up friendly, a thunderstorm in Orlando delaying kick-off until 10pm. But once the rain cleared, Declan Rice wasted little time opening the scoring for the Three Lions.
Thomas Tuchel, taking his last opportunity to watch over his players before the tournament, saw his side dominate from the first whistle. England recorded 81 per cent possession in the first half, with 12 shots and four on target compared to Costa Rica’s solitary effort.
“Declan Rice scored as England beat Costa Rica 1-0 in a storm-delayed World Cup warm-up friendly in Orlando.”
The German manager had confirmed an injury worry before the match, with Bukayo Saka struggling with an Achilles complaint. The Arsenal winger made the bench, but his club teammates Rice and Noni Madueke started. Marc Guehi missed out in defence, with Ezri Konsa and John Stones in place; Jude Bellingham started over Morgan Rogers.
The conditions remained challenging pitchside, temperatures in the low 30s with humidity still over 70 per cent. “Definitely a bit toasty for England,” noted a reporter, adding that it would be good for the players to get used to such heat.
Costa Rica’s goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira went down for treatment during the first half, drawing boos from supporters as he was eventually replaced. England continued to press for more goals, though the match remained 1-0 at the break.
The result follows an uninspiring 1-0 win over New Zealand on Saturday, leaving Tuchel’s side with work to do before the World Cup gets underway.