England's final friendly before the World Cup faced delays due to storms but provided valuable insights for coach Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel hinted at potential lineup changes ahead of the upcoming match against Croatia.
Key points
England's friendly against Costa Rica was delayed by storms
Tuchel was unhappy with the team's intensity against New Zealand
Costa Rica match provided valuable insights for Tuchel
Tuchel hinted at possible lineup changes for Croatia
England faces Croatia on June 17 in Dallas
England's final friendly before the World Cup was delayed by violent storms rattling around Orlando's Inter&Co Stadium – but when it finally got under way it was well worth the wait for head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Tuchel was unhappy with England's lack of intensity in their opening friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, the 1-0 win effectively a glorified training session as he fielded two different teams in each half.
The meeting with Costa Rica was a sharp contrast, a fierce physical test with plenty of helpful pointers for Tuchel before England face Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
When asked by BBC Radio 5 Live after the game whether his starting line-up on Wednesday would be the same as for that opening group game, he answered simply: "Maybe."
The German then added: "But we will always keep our cards in our hand. We will not give any decisions away because my thoughts at the moment are not for Croatia, they're for here today.
"It was a very strong line-up but it was a very strong bench as well."
So what will Tuchel be considering before he names his starting line-up?
Has Bellingham done enough to start?
Tuchel has spent recent months deflecting debate about whether Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa should take England's number 10 role when the stakes are at their highest.
The German boss has seemed happy to foster healthy competition between the two boyhood friends, but now decision time is coming.
Rogers has been the player in possession, Tuchel keeping faith with the 23-year-old as Bellingham endured a mixed season at the Santiago Bernabeu, interrupted by shoulder and hamstring injuries.
Tuchel started with Rogers against New Zealand, although nothing could be read into that as Bellingham came on for the second half and took on the captaincy.
There are effectively 14 or 15 "starters" that Tuchel has in mind within England's squad, and both are in that group.
But unless Tuchel decides to play Rogers on the left against Croatia, only one of the duo will be in that particular line-up.
It will be arguably the biggest decision of Tuchel's reign, and there was no doubt Bellingham resembled a man on a mission against Costa Rica.
He produced a superb through ball to Noni Madueke in the first half, which the Arsenal forward wasted by hitting the post after going around Costa Rica keeper Patrick Sequeira.
Bellingham showed superb sleight of foot in the build-up to England's second goal. He danced past several Costa Rica defenders in the area before finding Eberechi Eze, whose shot was handled. Anthony Gordon scored the resulting penalty.
Rogers also looked lively when he came off the bench – Bellingham briefly being used as a false nine – so the debate will continue to rage.
Q&A
What did Thomas Tuchel say about England's performance against New Zealand?
Tuchel described the match against New Zealand as lacking intensity, calling it effectively a glorified training session.
How did the friendly against Costa Rica differ from the match against New Zealand?
The friendly against Costa Rica was a fierce physical test, offering helpful pointers for Tuchel before the World Cup match against Croatia.
When is England's match against Croatia scheduled?
England's match against Croatia is scheduled for June 17 in Dallas.
Will Tuchel reveal his starting lineup before the match against Croatia?
Tuchel indicated that he would keep his lineup decisions private, stating that his focus was on the current game rather than the upcoming match.
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On this evidence, however, Bellingham will take some leaving out.
Who will play wide left and right?
Arsenal's Bukayo Saka will fill the right-sided slot if he is fit enough. A lingering Achilles tendon injury has led Tuchel to manage his minutes carefully, but he is first choice.
Saka's Arsenal team-mate Madueke produced a mixed bag of a performance on the right against Costa Rica.
The real intrigue centres on who plays on England's left. It looks to be between new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford – whose future at the Nou Camp is uncertain following his loan from Manchester United.
That is another sub-plot to the selection situation, and there is no obvious answer to who will get the nod.
Rashford was one of England's brightest sparks against New Zealand, while Gordon looked rusty as a substitute, his cause seemingly not helped by his inaction at Newcastle United in the final weeks of last season, when it became clear he was leaving Tyneside and he was left on the sidelines.
Gordon, however, did his chances no harm with a fine performance against Costa Rica, tormenting defender Shawn Johnson with electric changes of pace, making Declan Rice's opener and scoring England's second from the spot.
It presents Tuchel with another selection problem, of the sort he will enjoy – with the outside chance that he could always solve the Rogers/Bellingham dilemma by putting the Aston Villa midfielder out wide.
In all likelihood, the choice will be between Gordon and Rashford, and both will feel they have pushed their way to the front of Tuchel's thoughts in these two friendlies.
Deeper than ever - how does Tuchel utilise Kane?
Harry KaneImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Harry Kane scored his 79th England goal against New Zealand on Saturday - but could not add to that tally against Costa Rica
Kane's status as captain, talisman and main marksman is illustrated very simply by his all-time record of 79 goals in 114 England games.
And yet, at 32, he continues to add strings to his bow in a fashion that now makes him the complete player.
In Orlando, there was further evidence that Tuchel has effectively given Kane a roving commission to link, create and score – all tasks he performs superbly.
In the first half, there was even the sight of Kane picking the ball up in England's own penalty area as they played out from the back, linking comfortably with his defenders.
And then, as half-time approached, he produced a stunning pass with the inside of his right foot from a deep position, taking out four Costa Rica defenders to find Anthony Gordon, who thought he had won a penalty only for the decision to be overturned after a video assistant referee review.
Tuchel's willingness to allow Kane to roam freely, as he does for Bayern Munich, adds an intriguing layer to the German's strategy.
It is clear that Kane possesses the natural game intelligence - described as "uncoachable" by former England striker Chris Sutton – to not only create but also still arrive with perfect timing in attacking positions.
Kane's range of passing and vision enables him to find runners like Gordon or Saka, as well as Bellingham and Rogers when they make their trademark surges.
It may just give Tuchel and England an X-factor if they drive deep into the World Cup and have to unlock superior opposition.
No wonder Tuchel is reluctant to leave Kane out, even for a friendly, so central is he to his plans.
Classy Stones presses claim - but who starts at centre-half?
When Tuchel decided to leave Manchester United veteran Harry Maguire out of his World Cup squad, it placed his faith in John Stones even further under the microscope.
Manchester City's Stones was troubled by injury throughout last season and is now waiting to decide his next club after leaving Etihad Stadium, but his class and pedigree at the highest level has never been in question.
This is why Tuchel included him in this squad, and the head coach will have been delighted to see Stones get another 63 minutes under his belt against Costa Rica after playing 45 minutes against New Zealand.
If he is fully fit, as seems to be the case, then the temptation will be huge for Tuchel to start his most accomplished and experienced defender against Croatia.
Presumably, he would line up alongside Manchester City defender Marc Guehi - although Ezri Konsa's inclusion from the start on Wednesday points to an alternative option.
Guehi and Stones did, though, play 45 minutes together against New Zealand and know each other well both internationally and at club level.
Identifying the sturdiest pairing is another decision that could prove pivotal as England and Tuchel aim for a strong start to their campaign.
Phil McNulty's chosen England XI
Here's my starting line-up for England's game against Croatia, with John Stones at centre-half and Jude Bellingham in the number 10 role.
Do you agree? Have a go at picking your own XI below...
