England did what they were supposed to do against Costa Rica, which sounds simple enough but is actually worth saying out loud given England's long and storied history of making things unnecessarily complicated against teams they should beat comfortably. Thomas Tuchel's side were slick, purposeful at times, and looked like a team that actually knows what it wants to do with the ball. Progress, of a sort.
The big caveat here is that Costa Rica were absolutely awful. We are not talking about a stern test of England's credentials. This was more of a gentle reminder that yes, England do know how to play football, and yes, the players can string passes together when the pressure is basically nonexistent. So let's not get too carried away before anyone books their flights to the final.
What Tuchel did do was show his hand a little. The shape, the personnel, the patterns of play — it all pointed fairly clearly toward what England might look like against Serbia in their opener. Whether that is a good thing or not depends on how much you trust this squad to execute a game plan when the stakes are real and the opposition actually turns up to defend.
Anthony Gordon was the name on everyone's lips after the game, and fairly so. He played with energy, directness, and the kind of confidence that makes you think he genuinely believes he belongs at this level. Whether Tuchel trusts him enough to start against Croatia remains to be seen, but Gordon did everything he could to make that decision as difficult as possible. Good for him.
The honest truth is that England looked decent without looking like world-beaters. There were nice combinations, some smart movement, and moments where the intensity was exactly what Tuchel will have wanted. But warm-up games against tired, low-quality opposition only tell you so much. The real answers come in Dallas next Wednesday, and that is when we find out if any of this actually means something.
Let me know your thoughts.