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England wrapped up their World Cup preparations in style with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Costa Rica in their rain-delayed final friendly on Wednesday. Despite facing a physically robust opponent, Thomas Tuchel’s men maintained composure and control throughout the contest in Orlando’s humid conditions, thanks to goals from Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon, and Ollie Watkins.

Kick-off in Orlando was delayed by an hour following a thunderstorm that drenched the pitch, but the Three Lions showed no signs of sluggishness once play began. England took the lead inside the first ten minutes when Declan Rice found the net with a deflected shot after fine work on the left flank by the lively Anthony Gordon. Jude Bellingham came close earlier, his effort narrowly missing after a deflection.

Harry Kane’s clever header midway through the opening half was well saved, while Noni Madueke squandered a golden chance to double England’s advantage after rounding the goalkeeper, only to smash his shot against the post with the goal at his mercy. England were denied a penalty in first-half stoppage time when Gordon was deemed to have gone down too easily upon VAR review.

The second half followed the same one-sided pattern. Madueke fired just wide soon after the restart, and Gordon made it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 66th minute after a Costa Rican handball. Substitute Morgan Rogers wasted a one-on-one chance later, but his Aston Villa teammate Ollie Watkins sealed the victory with a close-range header in the closing stages.

Here’s how England’s players rated in Orlando:

Goalkeeper & Defence

Jordan Pickford (6/10): Acted almost as a sweeper, stepping out of goal often. Nearly got caught out by one careless pass.

Reece James (6/10): Rarely troubled by Costa Rica’s blunt attack and distributed the ball well.

Ezri Konsa (7/10): Fought hard in a physical contest but otherwise enjoyed a straightforward outing.

John Stones (6/10): Efficiently linked defence and attack with his trademark passing.

Nico O'Reilly (6/10): Combined well with Gordon on the left and was solid when called upon defensively.

Midfield

Elliot Anderson (8/10): Passed smoothly and contributed defensively, showcasing another assured performance.

Declan Rice (8/10): Finished calmly with his weaker foot to open the scoring. Combined nicely with Gordon in midfield exchanges.

Jude Bellingham (7/10): Slightly bypassed as much of England’s play flowed through the wings, but his footwork before the penalty incident was superb and he deserved an assist for Madueke’s missed chance.

Attack

Noni Madueke (7/10): Energetic and pressing hard, though wasteful in front of goal when presented with an open net, opting for the wrong foot.

Harry Kane (6/10): Largely quiet apart from a flicked header that was well saved, but dropped deep to influence play with some fine passes.

Anthony Gordon (8/10): Electric down the left, creating the opener and later winning a penalty that was overturned before eventually scoring one himself with authority.

Substitutes & Manager

Eberechi Eze (7/10): Played a delightful through ball to Rogers that should have resulted in an assist.

Djed Spence (6/10): Steady and reliable after replacing James.

Bukayo Saka (6/10): Not quite as threatening as Madueke but came close with one effort.

Morgan Rogers (6/10): Missed a clear chance when one-on-one but his shot led to Watkins’ late goal.

Marc Guehi (6/10): Slotted into defence calmly and provided stability.

Dean Henderson (6/10): Given time between the posts but had little to do; passed well when required.

Ollie Watkins (7/10): Scored from close range to cap off the victory.

Marcus Rashford (6/10): Looked sharp off the bench but will be mindful of Gordon’s strong claim for a starting role.

Jarell Quansah (6/10): Added depth at the back without being seriously tested.

Dan Burn (6/10): Worked hard and added physical presence up front.

Kobbie Mainoo (6/10): Passed neatly and kept the tempo steady in midfield.

Thomas Tuchel (8/10): Exactly the composed, controlled, and assertive performance he would have hoped for in England’s final warm-up. His substitutes made meaningful contributions too.

England now turn their attention to the World Cup, with confidence high following this encouraging display.