'A taste of what can happen' - Thomas Tuchel sees upside of delayed England friendly and warns it's 'no excuse' for slip-up against Croatia

England manager has refused to let a significant weather delay dampen his side's spirits, suggesting that the disruption provides a valuable lesson for the challenges ahead in the World Cup. The friendly against Costa Rica was pushed back after a tropical storm battered Orlando, but the German coach is treating the incident as a dress rehearsal for tournament life.

Speaking to ITV, Tuchel explained: "It gives us a little taste of what can happen in the tournament. We were aware of that before, now we experience it. It’s no problem. It should not be an excuse to lose our mood or patience or to lose our hunger to play the game."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the kick-off time, the England camp remained calm at their team hotel. Tuchel revealed that the squad had not yet departed for the Inter&Co Stadium when the severity of the storm became clear, allowing for a seamless adjustment to their pre-match routine and travel plans.

"No problem at all. We realised it when we were still at the hotel so it was easy we just said half an hour later in the bus and let’s go," the former Chelsea boss added. His relaxed approach filtered down to the players, who are looking to head into the tournament with momentum following a rigorous training camp in the United States.

There were initial fears that the heavy downpour might lead to a total cancellation of the fixture, which would have deprived England of their final competitive minutes before facing Croatia. However, Tuchel performed his own inspection of the surface and expressed his satisfaction with how the Florida venue handled the deluge.

On whether it's a relief to still have a game, he said: "It didn't cross my mind that it was so severe. We were aware that it can be thunder and lightning and some delays but I didn’t think that we would maybe miss the whole game. It seems like we have a game. I was out there. It seems quite dry, surprisingly dry for the amount of water that came down but they know what they're doing and it seems good to play."

The incident serves as a reminder of the volatile atmospheric conditions teams will face across North America during the summer showpiece. While the delay was an inconvenience, Tuchel is adamant that professional athletes must adapt to external factors without allowing their performance levels to drop during the group stages. This adaptability will be tested immediately as England prepares to kick off their campaign in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, starting with a crucial opening fixture against Croatia on 17 June.