Tuchel is happy with England's fighting spirit and morale as they prepare to embark on their World Cup journey.

England's "Three Lions" defeated Costa Rica 3-0 in a friendly match, thanks to goals from Rice, Gordon, and Watkins. Manager Tuchel said the team was in good form and he was happy with the cohesion and fighting spirit shown by the players.

In the 9th minute of the match, Gordon dribbled into the penalty area and passed the ball back to Rice, who then curled a shot into the net, giving England a 1-0 lead.

In the 66th minute of the second half, during a goalmouth scramble, Eze's shot touched the hand of Costa Rican defender Daryl Araya, resulting in a penalty for England. Gordon then converted the penalty, giving England a 2-0 lead over Costa Rica.

In the 88th minute, Jade Spence passed the ball to Morgan Rodgers, who took a long-range shot, but it was blocked by Costa Rica goalkeeper Madriz. Watkins then headed the ball into the net, helping England extend their lead to 3-0.

England ultimately defeated Costa Rica 3-0 in this friendly match.

England manager Thomas Tuchel said, "We played very well, we deserved the win, and we should have scored more goals. We were fully capable of creating more chances, and in fact, we created a lot of them. The team's attitude, energy, and intensity were at a very high level, and everyone performed brilliantly. It wasn't just about one player; it was a very good team performance."

“We wanted to take it to the next level, and we clearly did that in this game. Everyone in the stadium could feel it, and the fans’ reaction was fantastic. We put in a lot of effort to achieve this, whether it was pressing, defense, attitude, or team cohesion; everything was kept at a very high level.”

Furthermore, England will face Croatia in their opening Group L match of the 2026 World Cup. Tuchel stated, "This performance has given me great peace of mind because we are on the right track. I am proud of everything I have seen, including the team's spirit and the attitude the players have shown. The substitutes played a huge role, and the players who were substituted were always there to support us from the sidelines, which is exactly what we want to see."

“We saw some very good substitutes. Although they were not in the starting lineup and were inevitably disappointed, they maintained the same intensity and level of play when they came on, and performed well against opponents who were fatigued.”

Regarding the starting lineup against Croatia, Tuchel said, "We have six days to think it over. We will also play an extra friendly match to give more playing time to players who haven't had much playing time."

"The players will then have a day and a half of rest to adjust both physically and mentally. After that, we will change our accommodation and head to Kansas to begin preparations for the match against Croatia."

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