Jude Bellingham got the nod over Morgan Rogers as England's No. 10 against Costa Rica and delivered a complete performance that should make Thomas Tuchel's mind up for him ahead of the World Cup opener.
Bellingham Sets the Tone
It only took eight seconds for Jude Bellingham to steal the lightning's thunder. Given the nod over Morgan Rogers, Bellingham set the tone for England when their friendly against Costa Rica finally got under way. The No. 10 pressed from the front, racing to charge down a clearance from Darril Araya, and was key to the way Thomas Tuchel's side made light of the unpredictable Florida weather by imposing themselves on inferior opposition from the first whistle.
The skies had cleared by the time the game kicked off an hour later than advertised. The torrential downpour earlier in the day arrived after a three-week drought in Orlando, giving England a taste of what they can expect at the World Cup. Will they cope with the ups and downs of an American summer? Here at the agreeably compact Inter&Co Stadium, Tuchel had an encouraging response. The lineup looked close to the one that will face Croatia in Group L next Wednesday and, after last Saturday's glorified training exercise against New Zealand, there was a sense of England's level rising as they eased to a 3-0 win.
Sharp Combinations and Positive Play
Sharp combinations, positive dribbling and intelligent movement off the ball suggested a lot of good work has been done on patterns of play in training. Tuchel had to be happy. He was critical of England's "freestyle" first half against New Zealand, pointing to a lack of positional discipline, but this was better. Reece James inverted from right-back, giving England an extra man in midfield. The wingers were high and wide. Anthony Gordon, who is battling with Marcus Rashford for a place on the left, crackled with menace and clicked with Nico O'Reilly, whose dynamic surges from left-back were a constant feature of England's early play.
Really, though, this was mostly about whether Bellingham could do enough to force his way into the starting XI. The 22-year-old played with the hunger of someone with a point to prove. As much as Tuchel has tried to direct attention elsewhere, arguing that the World Cup will not be decided by one individual, the fascination around Bellingham's place in the pecking order is inevitable. That No. 10 spot is not his to lose. Rogers has been in the ascendancy under Tuchel, in part because of his ability to link play and work out of possession.
Bellingham's Defensive Work
It is worth keeping in mind that Tuchel does not want his No. 10 to mooch around and only come alive with the ball. Crucially Bellingham got the message. That his first action was to press showed he had the attitude. He worked hard and made four defensive contributions inside the first 12 minutes. Not that it was all about the unfashionable stuff. Bellingham spun early on and saw a fierce shot deflected just wide. England led after 10 minutes, Gordon storming past right-back Shawn Johnson and pulling the ball back for Declan Rice to sweep past Patrick Sequeira in Costa Rica's goal.
A metronomic midfield display from Elliot Anderson, subject of a £122m bid from Manchester City, meant Rice had licence to roam. Making those little relationships work is vital. Further forward, there were hints of Bellingham and Harry Kane clicking in a way they never did at Euro 2024.
Kane and Bellingham Click
Their partnership is still a work in progress. They have combined for only one goal in open play in 39 appearances. There was the debacle against Denmark at the Euros, England floundering, Kane and Bellingham only passing to each other once. This was a world away from that shambles. At one point Kane and Bellingham could not stop passing to each other. There was one beautiful exchange during the first half in Orlando. It started with a Kane flick. Bellingham moved into space and threaded a pass through to Noni Madueke, who moved in from the right and rounded Sequeira, only to hit the post with the goal gaping.
England should have scored more than three. What mattered more, though, is that Kane and Bellingham worked together. Bellingham was disciplined and clever in his movement. He moved high and vacated the space when Kane dropped back. There was a focus on making sure they did not get in each other's way.
Tuchel's Decisions
Tuchel has food for thought before facing Croatia. He made a flurry of changes after the hour. The substitutes made an impact, Ollie Watkins heading in the third after Rogers had a shot pushed away. England, who had 18 shots, were flexible and versatile. Bellingham took the armband when Kane went off. He soon produced a moment of brilliance, dancing in from the left, wriggling through the bodies and creating the chance that led to Eberechi Eze winning the penalty for Gordon to make it 2-0.
It was quality on another level from Bellingham. But he had earned the right to express himself. Starting as he meant to go on, the Real Madrid midfielder carried out both sides of the game and delivered a complete performance. It should convince Tuchel to pick him against Croatia.
