England made to work but Tuchel secures second win

Thomas Tuchel’s otherwise forgettable second win at least brought some memorable firsts.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Both Reece James and Eberechi Eze opened their international goalscoring accounts, to secure a 3-0 win over Latvia.

In between, Harry Kane of course got his 71st goal, but this didn’t quite become the stat-padding some might have expected.

Latvia didn’t let it. They made England really work for any opening, which in turn made James’s goal all the more valuable. On a night of frustrating imprecision, he offered a goal of soaringly exquisite accuracy. The free-kick, brilliantly curled right into the top corner, was some way to hit your first England strike. It was also emotional reward for the 25-year-old after a long period of injury troubles, that Tuchel should feel rewards the manager's own willingness to play his former Chelsea defender. This is why he has always loved James as a player.

It’s dubious as to whether Tuchel got much else out of the night, Eze’s first goal notwithstanding. The new manager might instead be realising just how thankless a lot of international football can be.

None of this is to criticise Tuchel. His team did try to turn it on and there were a few flourishes. It’s just the nature of the level for the major countries. At this point in international football history, and especially with the expansion of tournaments, they are really waiting two years for answers to long-asked questions.