This was a training game - England & Tuchel now need to get serious
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- England defeated New Zealand 1‑0 in Tampa, with Harry Kane scoring just before half‑time.
- England fielded 22 different players in the match, the first time since June 2004 the team has used that many players in a single game.
- Thomas Tuchel rested key Arsenal players and starters Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka after their Premier League title and Champions League final, leaving them out of the Tampa friendly.
- Ivan Toney entered the second half in Tampa after a year out of the England squad, having only a brief appearance in a friendly defeat to Senegal.
- England will face Costa Rica in Orlando next, where Tuchel is expected to field his strongest lineup to fine‑tune the side before the World Cup opener against Croatia.
Why it matters: England’s staff gets a clearer view of squad depth before the World Cup, while rested stars like Rice and Saka miss a chance to prove match‑fitness; the Costa Rica friendly will lock in the starting XI for the Croatia opener.
