England ratings vs New Zealand: Harry Kane off the mark as Marcus Rashford passes audition | OneFootball

Three Lions ground out laboured victory in Florida friendly

England began their official preparations for the World Cup with a 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa, Florida.

Harry Kane’s flicked header in first-half stoppage time opened the scoring after a drab first 45 minutes, with both players acclimatising to the American heat at the Raymond James Stadium.

Thomas Tuchel made a point of shuffling his pack in his side’s first warm-up match, fielding two different XIs in either half.

The German plumped for a couple of surprise picks in the opening half, with Bayer Leverkusen’s Jarrell Quansah getting the nod at right-back while Jordan Henderson partnered Kobbie Mainoo in the engine room.

Ollie Watkins, the Aston Villa striker, was fielded in an unnatural right-wing berth in the absence of Arsenal duo Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke, who are set to join up with the squad on Sunday.

Tuchel tinkered once again with his second-half XI, with Tino Livramento at left-back and Nico O’Reilly tucked into midfield.

While the second period offered a slightly more entertaining spectacle from an England perspective, the scores remained untroubled and the Three Lions eked out a victory that they will hope sparks some momentum going into a do-or-die World Cup campaign next week.

Oli Gent was on hand to rate the Three Lions’ players...

First XI:

Jordan Pickford 6: As expected, not made to do much, but the usual vocal presence at the back. Forced into a smart stop to deny Matt Garbett.

Jarrell Quansah 6: Solid in a slightly unnatural position. Helped out in attacking moves when he could, trying to link up with Ollie Watkins ahead of him.

Marc Guehi 6: Didn’t get tight enough to Wood under a high diagonal, leading to a half-chance that Garbett snatched at. Otherwise, hardly troubled and assured.

Djed Spence 6: Lively down on the overlap the left as he sported a face mask to protect his broken jaw. His right-footedness proved a problem, however, when it came to crossing opportunities, right up until he teased in a delicious ball in acres of space for Kane to nod home the opener.

Jordan Henderson 6: Kept play ticking with short passes from side to side, but nothing inventive from the veteran.

Kobbie Mainoo 6: The more adventurous of the double pivot, looking to break the lines with his ball-carrying, but was forced to resort to slow passing patterns as England laboured in the heat.

Ollie Watkins 7: Fielded out wide for the first time since his Brentford days, Kane’s understudy showed exactly why he was called up. His speedy bursts to exploit space in behind, his hold-up play in central areas, and his penalty box threat make him a valuable asset for Tuchel off the bench at this tournament.

Out of position: Ollie Watkins

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Morgan Rogers 6: Struggled to get into the game from a central area, with England shepherded wide when in possession. The Villa man was similar to Mainoo, looking to progress play with his trademark darts and dribbles, but he found himself starved of the ball and snuffed out.

Marcus Rashford 7: England’s brightest spark in the first half. Showed that he is more than just an inside forward looking to cut in and get shots off as he regularly looked to mix up his play down the left, teasing Tim Payne before getting to the byline to whip crosses in towards Kane and Watkins.

Harry Kane 7: Dropped deep to link play, spreading it wide to the danger man Rashford at most opportunities. Took his goal exceptionally well, benefitting from the runs off him in behind and the increased intent to whip deliveries in for him to attack. Just two touches in the Kiwi box, however, will be an alarming sight.

Confidence booster: Harry Kane

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Substitutes:

James Trafford 6: An easy second senior cap between the sticks. Nothing to do. Could have got his deckchair out in the Florida heat.

Reece James 7: A step up from Quansah, and the Three Lions showed a marked improvement as soon as he stepped onto the pitch. His willingness to invert and create numerical overloads in central areas, as well as his athleticism with and without the ball, make him such an asset.

Ezri Konsa 6: Assured in possession and had the confidence to be aggressive and step up, knowing that his recovery pace could bail him out if caught out.

Dan Burn 6: Not a heap to do defensively, but showed his threat from attacking set-pieces as a clear target from corners and free kicks.

Tino Livramento 7: Showcased his ability to operate on both sides as he burst forward at will to add greater guile to the left flank. Showed a real willingness to get around his former club mate Anthony Gordon and get crosses in.

Nico O'Reilly 7: His physicality and poise in possession makes him an absolute gem for Tuchel. Combative in the challenge and forward-thinking when he got the ball.

Shoo-in: Nico O’Reilly

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Elliot Anderson 6: Neat and tidy with the ball at his feet and more positive with his passing than Henderson in the first half.

Anthony Gordon 6: Similar to Rashford. Bright off the left, looking to run at Payne and add some more thrust to the England attack. Just didn’t have the final ball.

Jude Bellingham 7: Took on the armband and was more of a presence than Rogers in the No10 position. Ran the channels, linked play, and drove England forward. He has to start.

Rio Ngumoha 8: A livewire off the right flank, using his trickery and quick feet to good effect on his senior debut. Full of confidence, as shown by his double drag-back late on to bamboozle his marker.

Ivan Toney 6: The surprise call-up, but starved of any real quality service. That wasn’t for a lack of trying, as the wide men got their heads up and whipped in deliveries, but they just did not fall for the former Brentford man.