England's 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa was, in the words of chief football writer Phil McNulty, effectively a glorified training session played under the guise of international football. Thomas Tuchel fielded two completely separate teams for each half, using 22 different players – the first time England have done that since June 2004. The friendly was played in searing heat in Florida, and Tuchel admitted that many of his players had not played together since November. This is the context for England's final preparations before the World Cup in the United States, which kicks off with England's opening group game against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday, 17 June.
Tuchel has been experimenting with his squad for months. In March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley, he tried Phil Foden as a striker and fielded James Garner and Dominic Solanke – none of whom made the final World Cup squad. Against New Zealand, key Arsenal starters Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were rested after their Premier League title win and Champions League final loss to Paris St-Germain. Anthony Gordon, who recently joined Barcelona in a £70m move, came on as a half-time substitute, while Ivan Toney made his first England appearance in a year. The experimental approach is understandable given the limited time the squad has had together – just four training sessions before the New Zealand match, according to Tuchel.
“Explaining England's pre-World Cup friendlies, squad experimentation, and plans under Thomas Tuchel.”
The background to this pre-tournament routine is that England, like most top nations, use warm-up friendlies to build fitness and test options before a major tournament. The final friendly before the World Cup is against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday, and that is when Tuchel is expected to field a line-up close to his first-choice XI. The New Zealand game saw the debut of 17-year-old Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha, who impressed but cannot be added to the World Cup squad because he was not in the original 55-player list submitted to FIFA. Jude Bellingham presented Ngumoha with his debut cap, calling it an "amazing debut" and predicting a bright future.
For UK readers, these preparations matter because they indicate how ready England might be for the tournament. Tuchel has taken responsibility for the experimental selections, which have left the starting XI unclear until the final warm-up. The return of rested Arsenal stars Rice and Saka to the squad in Florida gives Tuchel a full complement for the Costa Rica game. The Gordon transfer to Barcelona is seen as positive by Tuchel, who says playing for a top club in a new style will benefit the player and gives the England boss an excuse to scout in Spain. The rivalry between Gordon and Marcus Rashford for a starting spot, mirroring the club and country competition between Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, is a subplot that could sharpen performances.
Q: Why is Thomas Tuchel experimenting so much in pre-World Cup friendlies? Tuchel wants to give minutes to as many players as possible in testing conditions and see who fits his system. He has had limited time with the squad – many players last played together in November – and needs to build fitness and understanding before the tournament starts.
Q: When does England's World Cup campaign begin? England's first group match is against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June in Dallas. Before that, they play a final warm-up friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday, 9 June.
Q: Which key players have been absent from recent friendlies? Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka missed the New Zealand friendly as they were given rest after a long club season. They have since joined the squad in Florida and are expected to feature against Costa Rica. Others like Phil Foden and Dominic Solanke were trialled in March but did not make the final squad.
What happens next? Tuchel will use the Costa Rica friendly to field his strongest possible line-up, giving the best indication of the team that will face Croatia. The World Cup squad is set, barring injuries, and the final 23-man list cannot be changed except for medical emergencies. England will then head to Dallas for their opening match on 17 June, with the pressure on Tuchel to turn experimentation into results.