Thomas Tuchel sent out two entirely different England teams in Tampa’s searing heat on Saturday – a final bout of experimentation before he must reveal his World Cup hand. The 1-0 victory over New Zealand, secured by Harry Kane’s second-half goal, was, in the head coach’s own admission, “effectively a glorified training session”. For the first time since June 2004, when England faced Iceland before Euro 2004, the Three Lions used 22 different players in a single match.
Tuchel’s long-running examination of his squad options has now run its course. With England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, 17 June, just days away, the friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday represents the last chance to field a team close to the starting XI. “To put it in context, a lot of our players last played together in November,” Tuchel said. “That’s half a year ago. We had four training sessions together, then mixed the team up completely.”
“England beat New Zealand 1-0 in a warm-up using 22 players; Tuchel must now reveal his World Cup plan.”
Key figures like Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were rested after their Premier League title win with Arsenal and the Champions League final loss to Paris St-Germain. Tuchel’s earlier experimental selections – Phil Foden up front against Japan, Foden alongside James Garner and Dominic Solanke against Uruguay – had already raised eyebrows. None of those three made the World Cup squad. Ivan Toney, who spent a year in the international wilderness after a three-minute substitute appearance against Senegal, came on for the second half in Tampa.
The clock is ticking, and Tuchel’s pleasant problems are now stark constraints. One intriguing subplot involves 17-year-old Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, drafted into the England camp in Miami to bolster training numbers after players from Crystal Palace and Arsenal arrived late due to European finals. Under FIFA regulations, teams can call up a late injury replacement up to 24 hours before their opening match, but only from the provisional 55-man squad submitted to FIFA. Ngumoha was not on that list, so he cannot be added to the tournament squad under any circumstances. The only youngster currently touring with the squad who is eligible for a late call-up is Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who was named in the preliminary 55-man party.
Ngumoha’s exclusion carries a historic sting: it confirms that Liverpool will not have a single player in an England squad at a major tournament for the first time since 1986, breaking a 40-year streak. For now, the teenager remains with the group, gaining senior experience and eligible to face Costa Rica before the tournament begins. But when Tuchel names his first World Cup starting XI, the experiments will be over – and the real test begins.