Thomas Tuchel continued his perfect start with the Three Lions as England secured a 3-0 victory against Latvia in his second World Cup qualifier.
Reece James marked his first international start in over two-and-a-half years with a stunning opener just before the break, curling his free kick into the top corner after a low Latvian block had frustrated Tuchel’s men for much of the first half.
“I saw the wall and felt I could bend it around; thankfully, it hit the back of the net. I was surprised it went in; I thought the goalkeeper could have gotten there, but looking at the replay, it was tough for him,” said Reece James.
Before the goal, England probed their opponents but came close to conceding after a lapse in communication between Marc Guehi and Jordan Pickford left the goal wide open. Forward Vladislavs Gutkovskis, however, failed to capitalize on the error.
It was a quiet evening for Harry Kane by his usual standards, but after one effort whistled wide of the target, he finished a well-worked team move by tapping in from the back post, following contributions from Declan Rice and Morgan Rogers (68).
Rogers played a crucial role in the second goal and was close to claiming a third shortly after. Eberechi Eze squeezed an effort towards goal, but it deflected off a defender and went just inches wide of Rogers on its way in.
England is now comfortably sitting at the top of Group K with six points from their opening two games of the Tuchel era. The next international break, providing an opportunity for the German manager to further shape his team, is not scheduled until June 6.
