Thomas Tuchel on New Zealand Friendly, Pitch Concerns and England’s World Cup Build-Up
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has dismissed concerns over the condition of the pitch for his team’s friendly against New Zealand, saying it will not affect his selection decisions. Reports suggested the surface at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was only relaid with grass a week ago and appeared uneven in places. The venue is among several stadiums being adapted for World Cup matches after usually using artificial surfaces.
Tuchel said England’s travelling ground staff had been working with the venue on the pitch, but insisted he is waiting to assess it in person before drawing conclusions. He added that he had heard the surface should be acceptable and said any problems could be managed on the day. The England boss stressed that the plan remains unchanged: the match will be used to share playing time evenly, with two complete teams expected to play 45 minutes each so all squad members receive similar minutes.
England are currently in Florida for their pre-World Cup camp in West Palm Beach. The New Zealand match on Saturday is their first warm-up before facing Costa Rica on 10 June, with the World Cup set to begin on 11 June. Tuchel said the squad has no injury concerns and that the priority is to continue the training schedule over the coming days.
England trained with 27 players on Friday, though Arsenal players Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were absent because they were involved in the Champions League final on 30 May. Several Premier League players, including Josh King, Rio Ngumoha, Ethan Nwaneri, Alex Scott and Jason Steele, have been training with the group to help boost numbers during the camp.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson also took part in training after joining the squad following Crystal Palace’s victory in the Conference League final. Tuchel’s comments suggest that England are focused on maintaining fitness and rhythm ahead of the tournament rather than being distracted by concerns over the playing surface.
