On target: Anthony Gordon and Declan Rice both scored as England brushed aside Costa Rica in Orlando
Returning Declan Rice set England on course for a morale-boosting 3-0 victory against Costa Rica after a heavy thunderstorm in Orlando delayed their final World Cup warm-up match by an hour.
Having arrived in Florida at the start of last week and scraped a 1-0 win in Saturday’s workout against New Zealand, Thomas Tuchel’s side stepped up preparations a week out from their curtain-raiser against Croatia.
Kick-off was put back an hour after a storm battered Orlando in the build-up to Wednesday’s friendly and England wasted no time when play finally got under way as vice-captain Rice gave them an early lead.
Anthony Gordon set up the returning Arsenal star and the Barcelona new boy slammed home a second-half penalty as Tuchel’s men finally made their dominance count in a one-sided, and at times testy, encounter.
Ollie Watkins added another as the England boss got an encouraging response from his substitutes having changed all 11 players again, albeit after the hour mark having done so at half-time in Tampa.
More to follow