HARRY KANE scored twice as England secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after a 5-0 thrashing of Latvia on Tuesday.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in Riga before Kane took his tally for club and country this season to 21 goals in 13 games.
A Maksims Tonisevs own-goal and Eberechi Eze’s strike rounded off the scoring as the Three Lions guaranteed top spot in Group K of UEFA qualifying with two games to spare.
Thomas Tuchel has completed his first task with ease as his side became the first European nation to qualify.
England have won all six of their qualifiers since the German took charge, scoring 18 goals without conceding.
“It comes rarely that you qualify for a World Cup, so the mood is very, very good,“ said Tuchel. “In the dressing room, it’s all smiles, music. It’s a moment to enjoy because it’s a special moment.”
After a slow start to Tuchel’s reign with unconvincing victories over Albania and Andorra, plus a friendly defeat to Senegal in June, England have clicked into gear over the past two international breaks.
“Of course we expect us to win against Latvia, but the way we won first of all gives us a lot of satisfaction,“ added Tuchel.
“We did it six out of six wins, six clean sheets. We are there and to have this feeling is a very unique feeling.”
Tuchel’s decision to leave out fit-again Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden from his squad this month was questioned.
But the former Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss has been rewarded for implementing continuity with his selection.
Gordon is one of those to benefit from a run of games on the left of a front three.
The Newcastle winger opened the floodgates when he cut inside to curl into the far corner for just his second England goal on 26 minutes.
– ‘Building momentum’ –
Kane had uncharacteristically missed a glorious early chance when he steered a Gordon cross wide.
The Bayern Munich striker soon found his range with two goals in four minutes at the end of the first half to take his international tally to 76 in 110 caps.
Despite losing his balance, Kane steered a shot into the far corner off his weaker left foot to double England’s lead.
Kane then accepted the gift of a soft penalty award for holding of his shirt by Latvia captain Antonijs Cernomordijs.
“I spoke before about building momentum, no matter who we play,“ said Kane.
“We hold on to that. Hold on to winning games, to clean sheets, to pressing high, scoring goals and we’ve done all of that.”
England were able to coast through the second period despite five substitutions disrupting the visitors’s attacking flow.
The fourth goal was a self-inflicted blow by Latvia as the ball looped into his own net off Tonisevs after goalkeeper Krisjanis Zviedris failed to connect with Djed Spence’s cross.
Eze was one of those introduced after the break and the Arsenal playmaker rounded off the scoring with a fine run and finish on 86 minutes.
England have not failed to qualify for a World Cup since it was last in the USA back in 1994.
The hard work for Tuchel now starts in trying to deliver his adopted nation’s first major trophy since 1966.
Hard decisions lie ahead with Bellingham, Foden, Jack Grealish, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer among those not even in the travelling squad to Riga.
But England will travel across the Atlantic in June among the favourites to win a first ever World Cup on foreign soil. – AFP
