England's Thomas Tuchel Cautious About Tampa Pitch Ahead of New Zealand Friendly
England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed cautious optimism about the newly-laid, disjointed pitch at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, ahead of a World Cup warm-up friendly against New Zealand. Despite concerns over the playing surface, Tuchel confirmed it would not affect his team selection, planning to use two separate teams for each half. The match is part of England's pre-tournament camp, with the World Cup opener against Croatia on June 17.
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England vs New Zealand LIVE: Team news ahead of World Cup warm-up clash
England face New Zealand in a pre-World Cup friendly at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Manager Thomas Tuchel uses the match to assess his squad and acclimatise players to the heat and humidity ahead of the tournament starting June 17 against Croatia. New Zealand, ranked 85th by FIFA, are the lowest-ranked team in the World Cup and are managed by Englishman Darren Bazeley. England have consulted Team GB experts and are using fitness trackers, cooling vests, and palm cooling devices to cope with the conditions. Tuchel expressed concern about the newly laid pitch but said it would not affect his selection. The match kicks off at 9pm UK time.
Mirror - FootballThomas Tuchel hopeful Tampa pitch will not cause England trouble vs. New Zealand
England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed cautious optimism about the newly-laid pitch at Raymond James Stadium ahead of a friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida. Photos published by the Daily Mail showed the playing surface appeared disjointed and not fully blended. Tuchel acknowledged being 'a little bit worried and concerned' after seeing the images but stated he was told the pitch would be okay and would not affect his team selection. He plans to use two separate teams for each half to give all players equal minutes. The match is England's first warm-up friendly in the U.S. ahead of the World Cup, where they open against Croatia on June 17. Tuchel also addressed potential player transfers during the camp, saying the team doctor is prepared to conduct medicals on site, though he prefers business to be completed before the tournament begins.
Soccer - The AthleticThomas Tuchel Hopeful Tampa Pitch Will Not Cause England Trouble vs. New Zealand
England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed cautious optimism about the newly-laid pitch at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, ahead of a World Cup warm-up friendly against New Zealand. Photos published by the Daily Mail showed the playing surface appeared disjointed and not fully blended. Tuchel acknowledged being 'a little bit worried' after seeing the images but stated he was told the pitch would be okay and that it would not affect his team selection. He plans to use two separate teams for each half to ensure equal minutes for all players. Tuchel also addressed potential player transfers during the World Cup camp, noting the England doctor is prepared to conduct medicals on site if needed, though he prefers transfers to be completed before the tournament begins against Croatia on June 17. The match is England's first game since arriving in the U.S. for a warm-weather training camp.
Soccer - The AthleticThomas Tuchel Hopeful Tampa Pitch Will Not Cause England Trouble vs. New Zealand
England manager Thomas Tuchel expressed cautious optimism about the newly-laid pitch at Raymond James Stadium ahead of a World Cup warm-up friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, Florida. Photos published by the Daily Mail showed the playing surface appeared disjointed and not fully blended. Tuchel acknowledged being 'a little bit worried' after seeing the images but stated he was told the pitch would be okay and that it would not affect his team selection. He plans to use two separate teams for each half to give all players equal minutes. Tuchel also addressed potential player transfers during the summer window, noting the England doctor is prepared to conduct on-site medicals if needed, though he prefers transfers to be completed before the World Cup begins against Croatia on June 17. The match is England's first game since arriving in the U.S. for a warm-weather training camp.
Soccer - The AthleticTuchel says Tampa pitch condition will not affect England team selection
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has stated that the condition of the pitch at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, will not influence his team selection for the friendly against New Zealand. The Daily Mail reported the playing surface was a 'plug and play' pitch laid just a week ago, and photos showed it appeared slightly disjointed. Tuchel acknowledged seeing a concerning photo but said he would decide after seeing the pitch in person. He plans to play 45 minutes with two complete teams to give all players equal minutes. England are in Florida for a pre-World Cup camp and face New Zealand on Saturday, followed by Costa Rica on 10 June. The squad trained with 27 players on Friday, with Arsenal players absent due to Champions League involvement. Several Premier League players have been training with the squad to boost numbers.
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