Three things we learned from England win as World Cup starting XI becomes clear | OneFootball

Three Lions laboured to warm-up victory with World Cup on horizon

It was never going to be a vintage performance, but England did what they needed to do as they ground out a 1-0 victory over New Zealand in Tampa, Florida.

Thomas Tuchel’s men began their preparations for the upcoming World Cup with a laboured performance, with Harry Kane’s header in first-half stoppage time one of few highlights on a baking evening at the Raymond James Stadium.

The German handed valuable minutes to 22 players as they build up to their opening Group L game against Croatia in less than two weeks’ time.

Some shone, others struggled in the Floridian heat, and England fans will be hoping for marked improvement when the tournament rolls around.

Tuchel takes opportunity to tinker

The England boss emphasised the importance of versatility when he discussed some of his surprise selections in his World Cup squad last month, and he made a show of demonstrating as much here.

Ollie Watkins, called up to be Kane’s understudy up front, was fielded in an unfamiliar right-wing position in the first half, in the absence of Arsenal duo Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka, who will join up with their team-mates on Sunday.

Impressive: Ollie Watkins

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Jarrell Quansah was a surprise inclusion at right-back ahead of Tino Livramento and Reece James, while Livramento himself was shifted to left-back in the second period, with Nico O’Reilly, handed the No3 shirt this summer, was tucked into a midfield role alongside Elliot Anderson.

Livramento and O’Reilly were the ones that really showed their adeptness in unnatural positions, having played in their respective roles multiple times for their clubs, but Quansah, often fielded as a right-sided centre-back in a three at Bayer Leverkusen, was less sure of when to join in attacks and when to stay in the first half, and it showed.

Despite playing off the flank for the first time since his Brentford days, Watkins showed just why he Tuchel called him up.

His recent form for Aston Villa - eight goals in his last seven Premier League games - showed his goalscoring knack, but it was his pace in behind that was stood him apart from his competitors for a place on the plane.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke and Danny Welbeck had all made strong cases to deputise for Kane at this tournament, but none of them have that willingness to stretch a game with a bursting run in behind the defensive line.

Despite being fielded out of position, Watkins was still able to drift infield and affect the game in central areas, contributing to neat interplay on the edge of the box while making the ball stick as he brought his team-mates into play.

Lethal link-up: Rio Ngumoha and Reece James

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Starting XI clear

While this was an audition for some, it became more glaringly obvious after about ten minutes of the second half who would be Tuchel’s go-to guys when the tournament rolls around.

The shirt numbers being confirmed was the first clue, but the drop-off and step-up in quality in some positions was greater than some may have initially thought.

Reece James brought immediate poise and calmness when he stepped into the right-back berth, inverting at appropriate times and showing great intelligence to do so.

Stand-in skipper: Jude Bellingham

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O’Reilly’s athleticism in the engine room and panache in possession has him as a shoo-in for the left-back position, despite Livramento’s impressive bursts on the overlap.

Jude Bellingham was another who raised the levels in the No10 position. Morgan Rogers had been tasked with breaking the lines with his ball-carrying ability in the first period, but he was quiet throughout, while Bellingham, who sported the armband in Kane’s absence, led by example, running the channels, winning his duels, and playing forward at every opportunity.

Jordan Henderson was handed what should be a rare start, with Declan Rice primed and ready to slot in alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot when he returns on Sunday.