England have ramped up their World Cup preparations with a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Miami FC in a behind-closed-doors friendly on Thursday evening. The match took place less than 24 hours after their final public warm-up against Costa Rica.
Tuchel's tactical test
Thomas Tuchel's side do not begin their World Cup campaign until next Wednesday, when they face Croatia in Arlington, Texas. Eager to fine-tune his squad, the German coach oversaw another friendly, with Ivan Toney stealing the show by netting a hat-trick. However, the goal of the game came from Rio Ngumoha, who found the back of the net from long range.
Ngumoha's cameo
Ngumoha is not part of Tuchel's World Cup squad but was flown to the United States to supplement the team during training. Despite his impressive display, he cannot be called up if an injury occurs, as he was not included in the initial 55-man squad.
According to reports, Marc Guehi and Kobbie Mainoo also impressed for the Three Lions. The friendly took place at England's West Palm Beach base in Florida, where the team had been acclimatising to the heat before travelling to Kansas City.
Training base concerns
England will be based in Kansas City for the remainder of the tournament, training at Swope Soccer Village, home of Sporting KC's reserve team and academy. Described as "state of the art," the village has previously hosted Manchester United, Manchester City, and both US national teams.
However, the Football Association has expressed concerns about a lack of privacy at the training ground. They plan to erect protective fences to prevent rivals from spying on the team. England had initially wanted to use Sporting Kansas City's performance centre, but Argentina secured that facility, leaving the Three Lions with the academy ground.
