WEST PALM BEACH — England’s national soccer team, clad in SPF 30 and begging for more ultraviolet rays, got a long-awaited taste of South Florida heat on Friday, June 5 in Palm Beach Gardens.
The “Three Lions” held a final training session at Joseph R. Russo Athletic Complex around 11:30 a.m. in advance of an exhibition against New Zealand on Saturday in Tampa.
After a dour week filled with afternoon rain and lightning delays, the English welcomed Friday’s 85-degree weather as they continue to acclimatize to the United States ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
To a South Floridian, it was as mild and pleasant a day as one will experience this summer. For the lads from London, however, it was surely a “scorcher” and a positive development in their latest attempt to “bring football home.”
“It is hot but it is not crazy hot,” England manager Thomas Tuchel said later in a presser at the Hilton West Palm Beach. “We did not have the hours that we wanted to be exposed but we will catch up with it in the next few weeks.
“It’s showed us that you can plan whatever you want and life does as it wants. There was a lot of rain and gray skies [this week]. Very unusual for three or four days now. Today was the first complete day in the sun, training in the sun, which is what we wanted.”
Tuchel is the latest major head coach to “want it hotter” for his team during training sessions, though he’ll certainly hope for a better finish than recently-departed Miami Dolphins honcho Mike McDaniel.
In his favor is one of the most talented international rosters at the World Cup, many of whom have played preseason matches in the United States in recent years.
The English support staff has also seemingly left no variable unconsidered. According to reports, England’s players are ingesting biometric sensors and donning wearables to track sleep hours and recovery while preparing for American summer conditions.
On Friday, however, an old-fashioned heat-beating option finally came in handy.
“The [resort] pool was not used in the afternoon until now,” Tuchel said. “I think that will change today.”
English concern over Raymond James Stadium field
While the English have been nothing but positive about conditions at Joseph R. Russo Athletic Complex — Tuchel complimented the field’s tolerance of rain this week — the same can’t be said about their upcoming venue.
English media was abuzz on Friday over the potential turf conditions at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa ahead of Saturday’s match with New Zealand.
Tuchel tried to dampen anxieties but acknowledged that he’d been shown photos of the field conditions.
“It should be OK and we want it of course to be OK,” Tuchel said. “I just saw a photo from your [media] colleague that made me a little bit concerned. Let’s decide when we are there. If there are any issues, we can react to it.”
Tuchel said England will field two different 11-player sides across the 45-minute halves against New Zealand. The team will return to Palm Beach Gardens to continue training before a second exhibition against Costa Rica on Wednesday, June 10 in Orlando.
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: England soccer team finally gets South Florida heat in World Cup prep
Reporting by Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric J. Wallace, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
