Harry Kane's glancing header just before half-time secured a narrow 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, but Thomas Tuchel was left fretting over a disjointed first-half display that he described as lacking discipline. The England captain rose to meet Djed Spence's cross, guiding the ball past Max Crocombe for his 79th international goal – a reminder of his enduring importance to a side that toiled without him in March.
Tuchel, who made 11 changes at the break, was blunt in his assessment. "We lacked discipline in the first half, came out of position and didn't stick to the plan," he told ITV Sport. "That slowed our game actually down." The head coach complained of too much "freestyling" and an excess of long-range shots. Morgan Rogers, handed the No 10 role, looked anxious to impress and much of what he tried failed to come off, though he did slip one perceptive ball to Marcus Rashford.
“Harry Kane's glancing header gave England a 1-0 win over New Zealand, but Tuchel slammed his side's first-half discipline.”
The heat and an uneven surface in Tampa complicated matters, and New Zealand – the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup – held firm until Kane struck. Half-time arrivals brought urgency. Jude Bellingham, given the captain's armband by Tuchel when he replaced Rogers, injected invention as England pushed for a second that never came. "I was more happy with the second half, we had more hunger, more grit, more desire," Tuchel said.
Bellingham cannot be sure of a starting place when England open their campaign against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June – competition from Rogers is fierce – but the 22-year-old will have been pleased to wear the armband. Tuchel allayed late injury fears over Ezri Konsa, insisting "no one is injured" after the defender appeared to struggle in the heat; the manager said exposure to the conditions was exactly why they were in Florida.
Kane, meanwhile, criticised the pitch, and his side will need better surfaces and sharper execution when they face Costa Rica in their final warm-up. Against Croatia, they will rely once more on their record goalscorer – because, as the Guardian noted, England may as well pack their bags and go home if Kane picks up an injury.