Let’s not kid ourselves England were always going to beat Latvia. Ranked 140th in the world, Latvia came to Wembley to defend deep, frustrate, and maybe just maybe grab a miracle. But this wasn’t about the win. This was about how England got it done. And what a moment Reece James gave us.
Back in the starting XI for the first time since September 2022, James reminded everyone what he’s about. A 25-yard free-kick, curled with the precision of a seasoned sniper.
Beckham-esque. You couldn’t have placed it better with your hands. His first England goal and an absolute beauty.
Thomas Tuchel’s second game at the helm didn’t set the world alight, but there were sparks. The manager experimented with his system, unleashing Morgan Rogers in a “double 10” role alongside Jude Bellingham. Rogers impressed. Bellingham? Well, he flirted with disaster.
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Already booked for a reckless stamp before half-time, Bellingham lunged in again on Raivis Jurkovskis in the 56th minute. It was wild. It was dangerous. It should’ve been a second yellow. Somehow, he stayed on. England fans held their breath.
The breakthrough had come earlier, thanks to James’ stunner in the 38th minute. Before that? Sluggish. Predictable. Lacking bite. Latvia sat with 11 behind the ball and England looked like they were playing through treacle.
Then came the Kane moment. The captain, quiet until then, latched onto a cross from Rice after a slick move started by Rogers. Boom. 2-0. The floodgates creaked open.
Eberechi Eze, on as a sub, added a third his first England goal. It took a deflection, sure, but the stepovers beforehand? Filthy. Wembley roared. The Mexican wave rolled. It finally felt like a party.
There were misses, too big ones. Bellingham fluffed a free header. Konsa had a shot tipped over. Bowen could’ve had a pen. Rashford went down too easy. VAR stayed silent.
Still, the fans made the atmosphere electric paper planes flying, cheers bouncing. England didn’t sparkle for 90 minutes, but moments of brilliance especially from James got the job done.
Tuchel will know this was no vintage performance. But the clean sheet, the goals, the glimpses of flair? It’s a start. And with Reece James bending it like Beckham, England fans have plenty to get hyped about.
