Three Lions Capture Florida Series Victory over New Zealand, 1-0

Saturday afternoon’s pre-World Cup friendly between England and New Zealand was a treat for the 25,889 spectators at Raymond James Stadium, particularly the ones who crossed the pond.

 

“My God, is that an actual pirate ship?’’ said British fan Claudia Moon, who traveled from London to watch her heroes, as she inspected the familiar attraction in Ray-Jay’s North end zone.

 

“We’re here to have fun, but this is serious stuff,’’ said British fan Paul Smith from Birmingham, England. “We put aside all of our loyalties to the various clubs we root for and get behind our boys. If we can win the World Cup, my life will change forever. That’s how much this means to us.’’

 

England captured the warm-up decision 1-0 on a brilliant header by captain Harry Kane in the first half’s extra time. After the match, head coach Thomas Tuchel said he “wasn’t super happy’’ about the proceedings, but focused on the positives. He utilized a completely new team in the second half, looking to experiment with matchups and gain some experience.

 

“To put it in context, a lot of our players last played together in November, so it’s been half a year, and we’ve had just four training sessions together,’’ Tuchel said. “We were contending with the heat (late-afternoon temperatures in the 90s) and the pitch. So we have some things now to work on.’’

 

Saturday’s proceedings also featured a local twist.

 

During halftime, there was the recognition and honoring of British legend and Tampa resident Rodney Marsh, the former Tampa Bay Rowdie.

 

Marsh represented England nine times between 1971 and 1973, when the country’s old national team system could cover multiple appearances with just one physical cap. Saturday, Marsh was presented with an England Legacy Cap, part of the British Football Association’s ongoing efforts to recognize past players. As the crowd roared its approval, Marsh placed his new cap on the head of his granddaughter, Willow.

 

Marsh said he feels that England has a legitimate chance to capture its first World Cup championship since 1966. And if that occurs, the road to that history will have begun in Tampa.

England has another friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando before its first World Cup match on June 17 against Croatia in Dallas.

 

For the British loyalists, the anticipation is building. One of Saturday’s interested observers was Sir Christian Turner, the British ambassador to the United States.

 

“Being British, we don’t like to look ahead, but our expectations are very high,’’ Turner said. “Every World Cup tournament is kind of melded as part of our national life and our national story. You grow up with the highs and lows as part of our national life and our national story. That’s why these moments are so big for us.

 

“Winning the World Cup would be the moment of a lifetime for everyone involved, myself included.’’