Thomas Tuchel’s key selection headaches after England’s win over New Zealand: Jude Bellingham’s compelling case to start at No 10, the star who ‘stood out’ – and the clear winner to deputise for Harry Kane
This was the first of two audition nights for England before their World Cup kicks off against Croatia in Dallas a week on Wednesday.
A 1-0 win over New Zealand here in Tampa was not necessarily convincing from a collective perspective, and the greatest intrigue was in the performance of those players pitched against one another for a starting spot.
Here, Daily Mail Sport’s Craig Hope looks at three key duels from the Raymond James Stadium…
Morgan Rogers v Jude Bellingham
Rogers was included from the off and, given there is a suspicion that Harry Kane will have a big say in who starts at No.10, the captain and Aston Villa man being paired together felt significant.
Yet, they did not combine in the way we had seen during the autumn qualifiers. Rogers completed only 18 passes during his 45 minutes on the pitch and, despite England seeing a lot of the ball, he was too peripheral. He did break clear in wide areas on a few occasions but never did his delivery find its intended target.
Rogers is highly valued by Thomas Tuchel, in large part for his diligence when his side are without the ball. He can press at the right time and at the right speed. Given the heat, and the fact England saw a lot of the ball without the need to win it back from New Zealand, Rogers was not able to showcase this strength of his game. On the ball, meanwhile, he did not do enough.
Bellingham was his half-time replacement and, perhaps stoked by missing out on a starting spot in behind Kane, he immediately sought to impress. There was a sharp ball in behind to send Anthony Gordon clear. Then, with a similar pass around the corner into Ivan Toney, the striker was fouled and a penalty awarded, only for an assistant’s offside flag to reverse the call.
But Bellingham, without doubt, emerged as the victor in this battle for the keys to No.10. He looked far more suited to the surrounds and ready to embrace the fight for his jersey.
VERDICT: Tuchel, before this game, probably did still favour Rogers. You suspect that opinion could change before Dallas.
Jude Bellingham (right) looked far better suited to his surroundings than Morgan Rogers (left)
Marcus Rashford v Anthony Gordon
This one really did feel like the toss of a coin before the game and, when the team-sheet dropped, it looked like advantage Rashford. Come full-time, it felt certain that the starting jersey will be his come Croatia.
Of all the players on display in a first half in which Tuchel admitted he did not like his team, it was Rashford who stood out. Maybe it is that he did not follow all of the manager’s tactical instructions – Tuchel was frustrated with his widemen cutting inside – but Rashford looked razor sharp and went for the kill every time he was in possession.
It could well be that Gordon’s arrival at Barcelona and the likelihood that his own Barca dream is now over will serve as motivation for Rashford, and that can only be good news for England. He created the most chances (five) and had the most touches in the opposition box (five) of any player on the pitch.
Gordon was introduced at the break and his contribution was mixed – some good, some bad. At one point, Tuchel appeared to be cajoling him for more. There is mitigation – Gordon has not played since April and he will need time to rediscover rhythm and fitness.
VERDICT: While Gordon gets up to speed, Rashford looks like he is already in the fast lane and should start.
Marcus Rashford (left) should start the first group game – he stood out, but Anthony Gordon (right) needs to rediscover his rhythm
Ollie Watkins (left) remains Harry Kane’s deputy because Ivan Toney (right) failed to impress
Ollie Watkins v Ivan Toney
This duel is not about a starting spot – that, of course, belongs to Kane – but Toney had the chance during the second half to show that he is the best deputy to the skipper, and he failed to do so.
Watkins had started the first half on the right wing and so there has to be understanding that he was out of position. Even still, he should have done much better than drag wide when clear from a brilliant Jordan Henderson ball.
But Toney was in his natural domain through the middle after replacing Kane at the break. He won a penalty but was already offside and then, in the closing moments, put wide when unmarked from six yards. Another flag meant it would not have counted anyway, but the execution was clearly way off.
VERDICT: Toney showed that he is a situational player – five or 10 minutes when chasing a game and employing the Hail Mary tactic! Watkins, through a couple of decent dribbles if not much more, proved that he remains the best option as first substitute for Kane over longer periods.
