The last time the USA staged a World Cup, England had their noses pressed against the glass. That was the season of Do I Not Like That. It was the season of the Impossible Job. The season of ‘what sort of thing is happening here?’. The season when to be an England fan was to be filled with cries of impotent rage and crushing disappointment.
England did not go to that party 31 years ago but they have been to every World Cup since and here at the Daugava Stadium, a bucolic ground in the suburbs of the Latvian capital, Thomas Tuchel and his players secured their place in next summer’s jamboree in North America with two qualifying ties to spare.
Latvia, who drew here with Andorra at the weekend, were poor opponents but England played as if they will head to their 17th appearance at a World Cup finals in rude health with fierce competition for places in a squad stacked with talent and increasing confidence in the direction of Tuchel. For now, momentum is with them and momentum is a powerful force.
They will not be among the top tier of favourites with France, Spain and Argentina. That is realistic but it may help take the pressure off them. And it does not mean that England will not travel to the States, with genuine aspirations of making the final in New Jersey on July 19th and lifting the trophy.
In their captain, Harry Kane, who scored two more goals to take his international tally to a remarkable 76 in 110 appearances, they have a world class striker at the very top of his game. Tuchel will pray his form and his fitness are the same in eight months when the tournament opens on June 11 with matches in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
England sealed qualification to the World Cup next summer with a huge 5-0 win over Latvia
Harry Kane scored twice on the night as England ran the hosts ragged at Daugava Stadium
Newcastle star Anthony Gordon opened the scoring with an excellent finish off the left flank
In the light of the razzamatazz that awaits, the glitz, the glamour, the gimmicks and the half-time show, it felt rather incongruous that England should secure their qualification for the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada with this 5-0 victory at a stadium with uncovered stands on three sides and 23 proud pine trees standing guard along the fourth.
There were 2,000 England fans amid the subdued crowd of 10,404. Many of them may have forgotten what it is like to fail to make it to a major tournament but there is still magic in nights like this when you know for sure that England will be at the Greatest Show on Earth again in the summer.
They will be there with Japan, New Zealand, Iran, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Egypt, Cape Verde, the smallest country ever to qualify, and other teams who have already qualified, in the first 48-team World Cup finals, trying to bring to an end what will be, by then, 60 years of hurt.
That they would seal their place last night was not in doubt, almost from kick-off. England thought they had scored inside 50 seconds when Elliot Anderson drifted a ball over the top to Bukayo Saka, who crossed for Harry Kane to prod home but the linesman raised his flag to indicate Kane had strayed offside.
Kane had a legitimate chance to score five minutes later after Anthony Gordon found him six yards out but Kane, uncharacteristically, volleyed his shot wide. The England captain looked disgusted with himself. He kicked the base of the post in frustration.
England dominated play. Jordan Pickford barely touched the ball, let alone had a shot to save. It felt like a game of attack versus defence but England could not break through and Tuchel crouched on his haunches on the touchline, feeling the frustration rise.
But then John Stones drove a fine pass over the top of the Latvia defence into the path of Gordon, who had been England’s best forward. Gordon cut inside a defender on to his right foot and curled a fierce shot beyond the dive of Krisjanis Zviedris to put England ahead.
The game was so one-sided that the England fans massed in a stand behind one of the goals began to make fun of themselves after the criticism Tuchel had aimed at the Wembley crowd after England’s victory over Wales last Thursday. ‘Tuchel’s right, the fans are sh***,’ they sang, as they were drenched by the pouring rain.
Kane curled home England’s second in the 44th minute with a top finish from outside the box
He put his team three ahead moments later, converting from the spot on the stroke of half time
Thomas Tuchel will be pleased by England’s dominance and clinical touch in front of goal
From amidst those diversions, Kane scored a goal out of nowhere, in the way he so often does. Latvia’s attempt to play out from the back two minutes before half-time broke down, Kane took the ball on the edge of the area and rifled a brilliant low shot past Zviedris to extend England’s lead.
It was his 75th England goal on his 110th appearance for his country. Before half-time, he had made it 76. VAR noticed that the Bayern Munich forward had had his shirt pulled at a corner and referee Tasos Sidiropoulos awarded a penalty. Kane committed the goalkeeper with a stutter in his run-up and dispatched the kick emphatically.
England claimed a fourth just before the hour when Zviedris flapped at a cross from Djed Spence and the ball hit Maksims Tonisevs and looped apologetically into the net. Substitute Eberechi Eze hammered home the fifth five minutes from the end.
By then, thoughts had long turned to booking flights and securing tickets for what may be a six-week journey around North America in June and July.
If this was the completion of the quest for qualification, the debate about who makes the squad and the starting eleven is only just beginning.
Much of it will centre on Jude Bellingham, who was left out of this squad by Tuchel. Bellingham has become a polarising figure.
Some argue his hubristic attitude means England cannot win the World Cup with him, others that his talent means Tuchel cannot win it without him.
The Bellingham situation even prompted an observation from Sir Geoff Hurst, the last living member of the England team that won the World Cup in 1966, which was, of course, the one and only time this country has ever triumphed at a major tournament.
Defender Djed Spence (right) forced a Latvian own goal in the second half with a wicked cross
Substitute Eberechi Eze (centre) made it five with a clinical finish inside the penalty box late on
Sir Geoff criticised Bellingham’s father, Mark, for confronting a Borussia Dortmund member of staff over the treatment of his younger son, Jobe, earlier this season and his intervention was pertinent beyond his status as the elder statesman of our game.
When that World Cup began 59 years ago, Jimmy Greaves, the greatest goalscorer of his generation, was considered undroppable, just as many still insist Bellingham is undroppable. But when Greaves was forced to miss a game through injury, Hurst replaced him and kept Greaves out of the side. The rest is history.
