Declan Rice and Noni Madueke were named in England’s starting XI for their final warm-up match against Costa Rica in Orlando on Wednesday 10th June, a late test that finally went ahead at 10pm after an intense storm forced two postponements. For England, it was the last chance to tune up before the World Cup opener against Croatia in Arlington, Texas.
The selection mattered because it showed Thomas Tuchel was still willing to trust players who had only just joined the squad in America on Sunday, including Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze, who were both on the bench. Rice and Madueke had not featured in a competitive match for club or country since the Champions League final loss against PSG, and their inclusion gave England a stronger look for a match that had started the day as a straightforward exercise in preparation and ended as a test of patience.
Saka’s place on the bench drew the sharpest attention. Tuchel had already said it was very unlikely the winger would start and finish every game from here, after he played through discomfort at the end of the season, and England were still managing the effects of that work through the campaign run-in. The delay in Orlando only added to the sense that this was less about rhythm and more about getting key players through the night without adding to the burden.
England came into the game after beating New Zealand 1-0 in their previous warm-up, with Costa Rica serving only as final opposition before the tournament begins. The squad then moves on to its opening Group play, with Croatia next on Wednesday 17th June at 9:00pm BST, followed by Ghana on Tuesday 23rd June and Panama on Saturday 27th June. For Tuchel, the main question now is how much he can ask of Saka once the games start counting.
