Anthony Gordon perhaps seized his chance to start for England at the World Cup with a goal and an assist as the Three Lions beat Costa Rica in Orlando.
A much better game of improved intensity and quality gave the tourists a final warm-up before the World Cup starts on Thursday.
Declan Rice opened the scoring from Gordon’s clever run and pass for his seventh goal for his country as Thomas Tuchel gave a final audition to players hoping to start next week.
New Barcelona signing Gordon was one who certainly impressed on the left wing as England were given a physical workout by a dogged, if limited, Costa Rica side who will not be at the finals.
Gordon drove in a penalty after the break before Aston Villa duo Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins combined and Watkins headed in a late third.
Kick-off was delayed by an hour until 22:00 BST after torrential rain and lightning in Orlando.
England were without Bukayo Saka who is not yet fully fit but Tuchel had more or less a full-strength side available to him otherwise. Surprisingly, it was the first time that his chosen XI had played together.
Once play finally got under way the pitch was surprisingly decent at the Inter&Co Stadium.
Jude Bellingham had the first effort of the night, firing wide after good play down the left between Gordon and Nico O’Reilly.
A physical and intense start was in stark contrast to the training game against New Zealand at the weekend.
O’Reilly and Gordon were impressing and after another sharp attack down the left, the new Barcelona winger beat his man again and found Rice, who drove home with authority.
Kane went close with a decent header as Patrick Sequeira made a flying save, before the Costa Rica keeper did well to beat out a Noni Madueke shot.
Madueke should have scored after running on to a brilliant Bellingham pass but after going around the goalkeeper he hit the post.
Kane, dropping deep, played in a wonderful ball behind the defence and the game Gordon won a penalty from it. But after a VAR review the spot-kick was overturned by referee Ekaterina Koroleva.
Tuchel made no changes at the break as he gave his first-choice XI much needed minutes in the Florida humidity.
Another gem of a crossfield ball from Kane found Madueke in space and his shot curled wide before changes were made on the hour mark.
Saka was among those introduced as Bellingham played as a false nine to give Kane a rest.
The Real Madrid man’s brilliant footwork teed up Eberechi Eze for a shot which hit the arm of Aaron Salazar and Koroleva pointed to the spot again.
This time the decision stood and with Kane off the pitch, Gordon stepped up and fired into the top corner.
There was time for another substitute, Rogers, to miss a sitter after more good play from Eze, and Rogers then hit a powerful shot which was palmed out and Watkins made no mistake.
The encounter with the team ranked 53rd in the world was the Three Lions’ last fixture before their World Cup campaign starts against Croatia on June 17 (21:00 BST) as part of a group also featuring Ghana and Panama.
Read: How to watch every World Cup game in the UK.
