Harry Kane was on target as England laboured to a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in a sweltering World Cup warm-up at Wembley, with Thomas Tuchel making a winning start to his summer campaign.
The Three Lions, who handed run outs to 22 players in trying conditions, struggled to break down a stubborn New Zealand side before Kane’s decisive strike secured the result. The match, played in intense heat, served as a final tune-up before the World Cup.
“Harry Kane scores as England labour to 1-0 World Cup warm-up win over New Zealand in sweltering conditions.”
Tuchel, who took charge of England earlier this year, will now assess his squad ahead of the tournament. The German manager revealed what Arsenal stars Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka will add to the World Cup camp after they were among the Gunners unavailable for the unconvincing defeat of New Zealand.
“They bring quality and experience,” Tuchel said of the Arsenal duo, who were rested for the friendly. “We know what they can do, and they will be important for us.”
The victory, though unspectacular, provided valuable minutes for fringe players as Tuchel fine-tunes his starting XI. Analysts pointed to three things they learned from the win, with the World Cup starting XI becoming clearer.
England now turn their attention to the tournament, with Tuchel confident his side can improve. “We wanted to give everyone minutes, and that’s what we did,” he added. “The conditions were tough, but we got the job done.”