TRENDING NEWS
Back to news
25 Mar, 2025
Share:
England sink Latvia to extend Tuchel's winning start
@Source: the42.ie
Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Eberechi Eze celebrates after scoring.Alamy Stock Photo England sink Latvia to extend Tuchel's winning start Reece James’ first international goal inspired a 3-0 win. 9.59pm, 24 Mar 2025 Share options Updated at 22.17 ENGLAND EXTENDED Thomas Tuchel’s 100% start to his reign as Reece James’ first international goal inspired a 3-0 win against Latvia in Monday’s World Cup qualifier. Tuchel’s side once again laboured to break down defensive opposition for long periods at Wembley. But three days after struggling to beat Albania 2-0 in Tuchel’s first game in charge, England eventually mustered enough composure and quality to kill off 140th-ranked Latvia. James broke the deadlock with a superb free-kick late in the first half as the Chelsea right-back made an impressive first England start since September 2022. Hamstring injuries had sidelined James for most of last season, as well as several months in the current campaign. But James was a key figure when Tuchel’s Chelsea won the 2021 Champions League and the 25-year-old could emerge as a significant weapon if he can stay fit. England captain Harry Kane put the result beyond doubt in the second half with his 71st international goal, before Eberechi Eze came off the bench to bag his maiden goal for the Three Lions. Despite their inconsistent start to the Tuchel era, the paucity of their opponents in a weak Group K means England are already well on the way to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Tuchel is the first England boss to win his first two competitive matches since Fabio Capello. The German now has 75 days to prepare for England’s next qualifier in Andorra on 7 June. Tuchel has yet to deliver on his desire to produce a team that plays with more courage than the “afraid” group that reached the Euro 2024 final under his predecessor Gareth Southgate. Advertisement But Tuchel has already shown he isn’t concerned about ruffling the feathers of his superstars. He kept the players guessing over his line-up until just a few hours before kick-off, with England’s starting line-up lacking a single player from Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool for the first time since 1992. - Moment of magic - City forward Phil Foden was replaced by Jarrod Bowen after his lacklustre display against Albania, while Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers made his first England start instead of Liverpool’s Curtis Jones. James came in for Kyle Walker and Marc Guehi replaced Dan Burn at centre-back. Frustrated by England’s limp performance in his debut, Tuchel had told his players to “raise the standards”, but they struggled to respond to his rallying cry. Although England monopolised possession, they nearly fell behind in embarrassing fashion after 19 minutes. Guehi and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford got in a tangle as they dithered over a pass into the England area, allowing Vladislavs Gutkovskis to shoot into the side-netting when he should have scored. Tuchel threw his head back in disbelief at such a rudimentary mistake. England nearly took the lead after that narrow escape when Jude Bellingham’s header deflected to Ezri Konsa, whose close-range blast was superbly tipped over by Krisjanis Zviedris. It took James’ moment of magic to break the deadlock in the 38th minute as he curled a sublime free-kick over the Latvia wall and into the top corner from 25 yards. James’ surprisingly subdued celebration was a contrast to the relieved Tuchel’s fist-pumping delight on the touchline. England were never completely convincing at the back, but Pickford came to the rescue with a save from Alvis Jaunzems. Already on a booking, Bellingham was fortunate to avoid a red card after clattering Raivis Jurkovskis in the second half. Bellingham was replaced by Foden to save him from a potential dismissal and England finally doubled their lead in the 68th minute. Declan Rice whipped a low cross into the six-yard box, where Kane was on hand to slot home in typically predatory fashion. Crystal Palace winger Eze provided an uplifting flourish in the 76th minute, dancing through for a shot that went in via a deflection off Antonijs Cernomordijs. European 2026 World Cup qualifying results on Monday: Lithuania 2 (Kucys 39, Gineitis 69) Finland 2 (Kairinen 3, Pohjanpalo 17-pen) Poland 2 (Swiderski 27, 51) Malta 0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 (Demirovic 22, Hajradinovic 56) Cyprus 1 (Pittas 45+2) San Marino 1 (Zannoni 67) Romania 5 (Cevoli 6-og, Popescu 44, R. Marin 55-pen, Hagi 75-pen, Alibec 90+4) Albania 3 (Manaj 9, 19, Uzuni 90+2) Andorra 0 England 3 (James 38, Kane 68, Eze 76) Latvia 0 – © AFP 2025 View 5 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “England sink Latvia to extend Tuchel's winning start”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “England sink Latvia to extend Tuchel's winning start”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. Damaging the good reputation of someone, slander, or libel. Racism or Hate speech An attack on an individual or group based on religion, race, gender, or beliefs. Trolling or Off-topic An attempt to derail the discussion. Inappropriate language Profanity, obscenity, vulgarity, or slurs. Advertising, phishing, scamming, bots, or repetitive posts. Please provide additional information Thank you for the feedback Your feedback has been sent to our team for review. Leave a commentcancel Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user View our policy ⚠️ Duplicate comment Post Comment have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Reece James thomas tuchel News in 60 seconds Freerejuvenation 'I've not trained at wing-back since he arrived. At the very first session, he just changed' 36 mins ago FreeLooking for Work FAI hope to add more June friendlies to allow Hallgrimsson explore squad options 41 mins ago FreeTake a Bow Mason Melia makes history as Ireland beat Hungary 'Corrigan or Nowhere' wins the day for Antrim as Ulster Council back down Freerumbling on Colin Healy saga: Marc Canham appears to contradict Carla Ward's 'not in the building' comment Analysisexits Ireland's kicking woes punished by clinical France AnalysisUpbeat Rising confidence levels and reconnection with fans bode well for Ireland Jimmy Dunne 'My mum is in the stand crying her eyes out' - Dunne on Ireland debut Tucker steps up to lead Connacht with Wilkins on sick leave Dates For Diary Páirc Uí Chaoimh to host hurling league finals, Croke Park football deciders confirmed Treatment Table Hayes set to miss Cork's league final but no long-term injury suffered more from us Investigates Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine Money Diaries The Journal TV Journal Media Advertise With Us About FactCheck Our Network FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition more from us TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Journal Media Advertise With Us Our Network The Journal FactCheck Knowledge Bank Terms & Legal Notices Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition © 2025 Journal Media Ltd Terms of Use Cookies & Privacy Advertising Competition Switch to Desktop Switch to Mobile The 42 supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and the Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at https://www.presscouncil.ie, PH: (01) 6489130, Lo-Call 1800 208 080 or email: mailto:info@presscouncil.ie Report an error, omission or problem: Your Email (optional) Create Email Alert Create an email alert based on the current article Email Address One email every morning As soon as new articles come online Sign in or create a free account To continue reading create a free account Or sign into an existing account
For advertisement: 510-931-9107
Copyright © 2025 Usfijitimes. All Rights Reserved.