England grind out win against New Zealand in Tampa | OneFootball

Harry Kane’s late first-half header proved decisive as England edged past New Zealand 1-0 in their opening World Cup warm-up match in Florida on Saturday.

The Bayern Munich striker continued his prolific form by nodding home Djed Spence’s cross in stoppage time at the end of the first half, giving the Three Lions a narrow lead at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.

England started brightly and enjoyed long spells of possession in the early stages, but struggled to turn dominance into clear chances. Kane went close on a couple of occasions, while Ollie Watkins also spurned an opportunity after dragging an effort wide.

New Zealand offered occasional threat on the counter, with Matthew Garbett forcing Jordan Pickford into a smart save, but for the most part they were pinned back by England pressure.

The game opened up after the break when Thomas Tuchel made a full set of 11 changes, handing a debut to 17-year-old Liverpool winger Rio Ngumoha. The reshuffled side had moments of promise, with Dan Burn hitting the post from a header and Jude Bellingham firing over late on.

However, England could not add to their lead, and the contest drifted to a low-key finish in the Florida heat.

While not a vintage performance, Tuchel will take encouragement from the clean sheet and another goal for his captain, as England now turn their attention to their final warm-up against Costa Rica before facing Croatia in their World Cup opener.