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England’s preparations continue with a match against Costa Rica following a disjointed win versus New Zealand in Tampa
Alan Smith Sunday 07 June 2026 01:45 BST- Bookmark
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England vs New Zealand LIVE
- England face New Zealand in Tampa in World Cup warm-up | Live on ITV
- England first half XI: Pickford; Quansah, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Henderson, Mainoo; Rashford, Rogers; Kane, Watkins.
- England second half XI: Trafford; James, Konsa, Burn, Livramento; Bellingham, Anderson, O'Reilly; Ngumoha, Toney, Gordon.
- GOAL! England 1-0 New Zealand (Kane, 45+3)
Kane in tip top shape
"I think physically, mentally, it's the best shape I have been in in my career,” the England captain says ominously after a 67th goal of the season for club and country.
“We're going into a tough environment, a tough tournament, I'm excited for it. The World Cup is the biggest tournament of all and I'm looking forward to it getting started really."
Alan Smith7 June 2026 01:45Kane plays down heat concerns
Speaking to BBC Radio, he says: "The drinks breaks help. A lot of people are talking about the heat but I don't think it's going to be as big a factor as what some people say. Me personally and a few of of the boys who have been training for a while in it felt fine today. We're all athletes, we're all professionals and have played in warm weather conditions before."
Alan Smith7 June 2026 01:15Bellingham plays down injury fears
The Real Madrid midfielder said: "I'm feeling good off the back of a tough season with a couple of injuries for the first time in my career. I feel strong, I feel better than I did at the start of the season. I'm feeling excited and ready."
Alan Smith7 June 2026 00:45What next for Tuchel
"We will acclimatise to the humidity and the sun whilst we are here,” he said.
“The most positive thing is we can keep training with the whole group because no one is injured. We have no complaints. Tomorrow will be recovery game, then we have two days to prepare for Costa Rica.
“Then a chunk of players will get more minutes. The Arsenal players are in from today which is good because it gives us energy and quality and then we have another one and a half days off. The we go to Kansas and prepare for Croatia."
Alan Smith6 June 2026 23:55Tepid but a win and clean sheet - match verdict
Here is Richard Jolly’s snap verdict on what went down in Tampa this evening as Tuchel finds few answers to his remaining questions.
Alan Smith6 June 2026 23:50Tuchel's initial judgment
"First of all, I'm happy no one is injured and we had four good training sessions,” he told ITV.
“We had this split game for everyone with 45 minutes in the heat on a very difficult pitch. It is not easy, we have a win, we have a clean sheet. We can keep on going, the energy is right. The quality will come, I think the better the opponent gets the better we will get. We tried to score and score."
Alan Smith6 June 2026 23:43Tepid warm-up offers Tuchel few answers
It was the least surprising of lessons to take. Harry Kane can score goals. After 61 this season for Bayern Munich, after 78 before in England’s colours, another came in Florida to defeat New Zealand. The problem is that such games, so close to a World Cup, are supposed to produce more meaningful conclusions.
And there weren’t too many. Some 22 players got a cap; a first in the case of Rio Ngumoha, although, barring an ill-timed injury to anyone else, the 17-year-old won’t be at the World Cup anyway. Few really enhanced their chances, and maybe only one in a way that might alter Thomas Tuchel’s thinking when it comes to his starting 11 against Croatia in Dallas.
That was Marcus Rashford who, at the risk of damning him with faint praise, was livelier than most; his skill during a staccato run on the left led to a Kane chance. He whipped in two shots in a minute, though neither was on target. It wasn’t spectacular, but at least it ranked as encouraging.
(Getty)Richard Jolly6 June 2026 23:22Bellingham on the conditions
And here is the man who wore the armband for the second half on the pitch and weather.
"We are going to have to manage the game well at times,” he says. “We want to play that full force, high pressing, high tempo football which is difficult in the heat and with the pitches. Both sets of players made a great effort to get out of the game what we had to do before the tournament so we are pleased."
Alan Smith6 June 2026 23:18Kane on the conditions
“It's not easy,” he tells ITV. “The heat is what we’re here for, to prepare for the tournament. The pitch wasn’t great, to be honest, it was really hard to play in the way that we want to play, but this is why we're here to adapt to it.”
Alan Smith6 June 2026 23:14'A pre-season friendly'
On ITV Roy Keane describes it as a “pre-season friendly” and he is right on the money. Sure, it was not pretty but England ticked the right boxes and it will only have done them good with 11 days to go before the real business gets underway.
Stay tuned for all the reaction.
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