The Guardian noted that , England easily defeated Costa Rica 3-0. In this match, Bellingham's individual performance rose to another level. From start to finish, he diligently performed on both offense and defense, delivering an impeccable and complete game. He has already outshone Morgan Rogers with his performance to secure the starting No. 10 position for England.
Just 8 seconds into the match, Bellingham made a brilliant play, stealing all the limelight. In this game, he outperformed Morgan Rogers to secure the starting No. 10 position. As soon as the friendly match between England and Costa Rica began, Bellingham set the tone for his team. He continuously pressed in the frontfield, moving forward at full speed to disrupt opponents. Facing a weaker opponent, Tuchel's team firmly controlled the game from the start, easily overcoming the interference from Florida's unpredictable weather, and Bellingham played a crucial role in this process.
Following last Saturday's match against New Zealand, which was more of an internal training session, England's 3-0 victory over Costa Rica showed a significant improvement in the team's overall competitive state.
Exquisite team play, decisive dribbling, and flexible off-ball movement all indicate that the team has repeatedly refined their tactical routines in training, and Tuchel should be satisfied. In the first half against New Zealand, he had criticized the team's play as too casual and their positioning as lacking discipline, but the improvement in this match was very obvious. Reece James tucked into midfield, giving England an extra receiving option in the middle; both wingers stayed high and wide. Gordon is competing with Rashford for the starting left-winger position. He was full of attacking drive in this match and formed a good understanding with O'Riley, who frequently surged forward from the left, becoming a regular attacking threat for England in the early stages.
The real highlight of this match was whether Bellingham could firmly secure a starting spot with his performance.
The 22-year-old entered the game with a strong desire to prove himself. Although Tuchel repeatedly shifted the media's focus, stating that the World Cup outcome would not be decided by a single player, external attention would inevitably continue to focus on the starting No. 10 position. This position was not one Bellingham had a firm hold on. Rogers was gaining momentum under Tuchel, partly because he could both link up play and complete defensive tasks off the ball.
Tuchel did not want his No. 10 to simply stand and wait for the ball, only having an impact when in possession, and Bellingham clearly understood this requirement. His first action in the game was to press forward, which perfectly reflected his attitude. Within the first 12 minutes, he made four defensive contributions, running diligently.
Of course, his contributions were not limited to these inconspicuous defensive duties. Early in the game, he turned away from a defender and unleashed a powerful shot, which was deflected slightly wide of the post. In the 10th minute, England took the lead when Gordon broke through Sean Johnson at high speed and cut the ball back, allowing Declan Rice to follow up and slot it past Patrick Sequeira.
Elliot Anderson calmly controlled the tempo in midfield. Manchester City had offered £122 million for him, and his consistent performance also allowed Rice to make free forward runs. The chemistry between the two midfielders was crucial. Upfront, Bellingham and Kane showed a mutual understanding that had not been seen in the previous 2024 European Championship.
Their partnership is still in the bedding-in phase. In 39 previous appearances together, they had only combined for one goal from open play. In the European Championship match against Denmark, their partnership completely broke down, with England's attack stalling throughout, and Kane and Bellingham exchanged passes only once. The situation in this match was vastly different from that poor performance; the two even continuously exchanged passes. In the first half against Costa Rica, they executed a brilliant combination: Kane flicked the ball on, Bellingham surged forward to receive it and delivered a through ball, and Madueke cut in from the right, dribbled past goalkeeper Sequeira, but hit the post with an open goal.
England could have scored more goals, but more importantly, Kane and Bellingham achieved positive synergy. Bellingham's runs were well-judged and clear-minded; when Kane dropped deep, he pushed forward to create space, and they consciously avoided overlapping runs and interfering with each other.
Tuchel still has plenty of tactical adjustments to make before the match against Croatia. After an hour of play, he made several substitutions, and the substitutes also made an impact. After Rogers' shot was saved by the goalkeeper, Watkins headed in the team's third goal.
England made a total of 28 shots throughout the match, employing flexible and varied tactics. After Kane was substituted, Bellingham took over the captain's armband. Shortly after, he delivered a highlight play, dribbling past several defenders on the left to create an opportunity, which Eze capitalized on to win a penalty. Gordon converted the penalty, making the score 2-0.
Bellingham's individual performance in this match rose to another level, and this brilliant display was also the result of his hard work. From start to finish, he diligently performed on both offense and defense, delivering an impeccable and complete game.
Such a performance is enough to convince Tuchel to start him in the match against Croatia.