It was the day when Thomas Tuchel showed his hand for England’s World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas next Wednesday and his players hinted at what can happen when they play with intensity and slick connections.The paucity of the opposition had to be considered. Costa Rica barely even saw the ball; it was entirely a rearguard effort from them. But there was nevertheless encouragement for Tuchel, who went strong with his line-up, the occasion framed, really, by who he picked at the outset.It was hard not to read deeply into his calls, the biggest of which was Jude Bellingham over Morgan Rogers in the No 10 role. Bellingham was very good and he was not alone. Tuchel preferred Anthony Gordon to Marcus Rashford on the left and was rewarded with a driving performance from him. The other eye-catching decisions were Ezri Konsa over Marc Guéhi in central defence and Noni Madueke on the right wing, with Bukayo Saka not at 100%.The game was delayed by an hour, set back to 5pm local time after a downpour of biblical proportions plus thunder and lightning. England coped well with it. Their focus was clear and they were on their way when Declan Rice gave them an early lead. England could have had a hatful but they could be content with their additional goals from Gordon, who hammered home a penalty, and Ollie Watkins, towards the end. The substitute tapped home on the rebound after Rogers, who also came off the bench, had seen a shot saved.Bellingham was in the mood from the first whistle. It took him precisely eight seconds to charge into his first block tackle and the industry was replicated across the team. It was a blistering start by England, Gordon serving notice of his intention to give the Costa Rica right-back, Shawn Johnson, a hard time.The breakthrough goal came up the England left and it was piece of old-fashioned wing play by Gordon; a dart around the outside of Johnson, the acceleration explosive. When he pulled back from the byline, Rice swept a deflected left-footed shot into the far corner.Thomas Tuchel talks to his players during a water break in the friendly match in Orlando. Photograph: Rich Storry/Getty ImagesIt had been easy to fear that the game might not be played – certainly as the rain lashed down from around 1.30pm local time. There was lightning, which was the major worry, and all that was missing was the sight of animals assembling two by two. At 2.30pm, the pitch looked waterlogged in parts. A nod to the drainage system. It was extraordinary. By 3pm, with the rain having eased, the surface looked fine.England’s dominance was total, their tempo high throughout despite the heat and