The final whistle has been blown, and, but for a behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami FC in West Palm Beach tomorrow, England’s pre-World Cup preparations are almost over.
England took it up a notch or two from their performance against New Zealand and looked much better. Costa Rica were unable to get any kind of stranglehold on the game and were totally dominated by a far superior team.
Jude Bellingham, again, stood out, as did Anthony Gordon, who put in a much better showing than he did on Saturday. Elliot Anderson was excellent alongside Declan Rice, and the substitutes came on to make an impact.
England dealt with the weather delay well and, although it wasn’t as hot as it was in Tampa, it was humid.
This was a much better showing from England. They were quicker in possession, solid in defence and should have won by a bigger margin, but for several wasted chances. Good teams get better in tournament football with each match they play, so today’s improvement is a good sign.
