Thomas Tuchel has indulged himself long enough. The England head coach has spent months rotating, experimenting and observing from a safe distance, and while there is a logic to that approach, the clock has now run out on the luxury of abstraction. Wednesday's friendly against Costa Rica in Orlando is the last moment to assemble something that resembles a genuine tournament team — and he cannot afford to waste it.

A glorified training session in Tampa

Saturday's 1-0 win over New Zealand in Tampa was, by Tuchel's own implicit admission, more an exercise in acclimatisation than a competitive rehearsal. He fielded 22 different players across the two halves — the first time England have done so in a match since June 2004, when they faced Iceland ahead of the European Championship in Portugal. The heat in Florida was testing, the opposition the lowest-ranked side at the World Cup, and the result produced little more than confirmation that Harry Kane remains England's most reliable match-winner at international level.

Kane's header just before half-time — his 79th goal in 113 international appearances — was the difference. It was the captain doing what the captain does, rescuing his side from a first half Tuchel himself described as failing to follow the game plan. England are, to state the blindingly obvious, a different proposition entirely when Kane is on the pitch and in form.

Key absences add context, but only so much

There were mitigating factors in Tampa. Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka were rested after Arsenal's Premier League title-winning campaign and the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Tuchel pointed out that many of his players had not played together since November, and that only four training sessions had preceded the New Zealand game. Those are genuine constraints worth acknowledging.

Yet the head coach must also accept his share of responsibility for the lack of clarity at this late stage. His experimental selections in the March friendlies against Uruguay and Japan at Wembley produced some eyebrow-raising decisions — Phil Foden used as a centre-forward against Japan, for instance — while none of the players Tuchel tried in those games made the final World Cup squad. The experimentation was not building towards something; it was simply experimentation.

Ivan Toney came on for the second half in Tampa after more than a year away from the international setup. His reintegration is a curious subplot heading into the tournament.

What Costa Rica must tell us

With the Arsenal contingent now back in camp, Wednesday represents the opportunity Tuchel has been building towards. The Costa Rica friendly should, at minimum, resolve the outstanding questions about the central defensive partnership — John Stones was given 45 minutes alongside Marc Guehi against New Zealand after an injury-disrupted final season at Manchester City — and offer the clearest indication yet of who fills the contested number ten role.

Most importantly, it should give England's likely starters the chance to build combinations and find rhythm before the tournament opener against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June. A side cannot manufacture cohesion from nothing on the day a major tournament begins. Tuchel said he expects the team to improve as the quality of opposition rises, which is reasonable in theory. But some groundwork must be laid first.

England have scored just twice in their last three matches. That is not a stat a side heading into a World Cup should be comfortable with. Against Costa Rica, there are no more excuses for holding back. The training sessions are over.

Frequently asked

When do England play Costa Rica before the World Cup?
England face Costa Rica in a friendly in Orlando on Wednesday. It is their final warm-up match before their World Cup opening game against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June.
Who scored for England against New Zealand?
Harry Kane scored the only goal of the game, heading England in front just before half-time. It was his 79th international goal in 113 appearances.
Why did Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka miss the New Zealand friendly?
Both players were rested by Thomas Tuchel after a long club season with Arsenal, which included winning the Premier League title and reaching the Champions League final.