Harry Kane hails England World Cup preparation as squad arrives at base camp
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England's Harry Kane arriving in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 13 with the England team.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP
- England's squad, led by Harry Kane and Thomas Tuchel, arrived in Kansas City after "great preparation," including two friendly wins, feeling ready for the World Cup.
- Captain Kane expressed "real World Cup anticipation" in Kansas City, with England aiming to win their first World Cup since 1966.
- England faces a "difficult" Group L opener against Croatia on June 17, as Kane acknowledges their strong past World Cup performance.
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KANSAS CITY - Harry Kane said England had enjoyed “great preparation” ahead of their World Cup campaign as the squad touched down in Kansas City – their base camp for the tournament.
Thomas Tuchel’s men arrived in the Midwest on June 13 following a camp in Florida, where they played two friendly matches, against New Zealand and Costa Rica, winning both.
They are one of the favourites to win the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States after coming close to winning silverware at recent major tournaments.
England captain Kane said preparation for their opening match against Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, Texas, had been “top drawer”.
“The way we worked, the way we trained, the preparation for games, the way we played and also just the togetherness, the way we reconnected,” he said.
“The relaxation away from it as well, the recovery part of it. Everything was at the highest level so I feel like we can come into this part of the camp knowing that we’ve had great preparation.”
The 32-year-old Bayern Munich forward said now the squad was in Kansas City they could “start to feel the real World Cup anticipation”.
“Obviously, we’ve still got a few more days until our first game but this is where the business starts,” he added.
“This is going to be our home for the next six weeks, hopefully, and looking forward to getting started.”
Kane said England’s performance in their 3-0 win against Costa Rica on June 10 had been “top from start to finish” as they prepare for a tough opener in Group L.
“Croatia are a difficult team,” he said.
“They proved in the last two World Cups especially that they can be one of the best teams in the tournament and we have to be ready for that,” added Kane, who was in the side that lost to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.
Tuchel, appointed with a brief to win England’s first World Cup since 1966, said his men were “ready to go”.
“We are acclimatised,” said the German. “We have been quite a while in the country. They have worked hard enough. We have been exposed to enough heat. We’re in a good place.”
The other two teams in Group L are Ghana and Panama. AFP
