The first thing to say about England in Kansas City is that the locals seem genuinely delighted to have them here. The welcome for Thomas Tuchel and his players has been warm, coloured by the charm and friendliness of the midwest.
Yet there is also a question that people have asked, particularly those who are connected to Argentina, the Netherlands and Algeria – the other World Cup nations who have chosen to base themselves in this area. Why are England here? Unlike the trio, they have no group matches at the city’s Arrowhead Stadium.
There are several strands to the answer which, when put together, convinced the Football Association that Kansas City would provide the surest springboard to glory at what is the most bloated and challenging World Cup of them all.
The governing body like Kansas City’s central location, knowing it will mitigate the travel distances to and from games; England will not have any flights of more than three-and-a-half hours. The countries that choose to ground-hop in the knockout rounds rather than return to a fixed base as England plan to do could find themselves looking at some unappealing journeys.
The FA believe there is a significant advantage to having an actual home – or at least a home from home – previous tournaments have shown them this. It will mean, for example, that staff do not have to lug their equipment around every three to five days; a physical and mental challenge. The fact England kick-off their three group games in mid-to-late afternoon (local time) means they ought to get back to Kansas City at a reasonable hour afterwards.
The emphasis, really, is on home comforts, which the FA have sought to push at the team hotel – the four-star, 54-room Inn at Meadowbrook, which the squad have taken exclusively. There is plenty of outdoor space, freedom for the players to get out in the fresh air; perhaps for a game of basketball – the FA have had a hoop installed.
There are communal spaces, including some with screens to watch the World Cup or, indeed, other sports. There is an area for recovery, with a sauna and places for relaxation. And then there are the little touches, including those that greeted the players when they checked in on Saturday.
“There was an iPad in my room with photos on it – like a slideshow,” said the backup goalkeeper James Trafford. “The first photo was me and my missus. It was a nice surprise. Then I had a box that my missus did for me … with little personal touches. What was in it? She put a few things in to open at different stages of the tournament – a thing for every week. She put two face masks in there, as well. Very thoughtful. And she put in a Lego set of a tractor.”
Trafford hails from farming stock in Cumbria and can actually drive a tractor. “I’m a farmer, aren’t I?” he said. “It’s not the biggest Lego tractor and I haven’t built it yet. We’ve only just got here. I don’t want to jump the gun.”
Tuchel’s No 1 goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, said the mood in the camp was “in a great place”. He added in an interview with TalkSport: “The FA put a lot of hard work in behind the scenes … what a lot of the media, the fans and the people at home don’t see. I’ve got to pay massive credit to that because it makes it feel like home. Even just little things like the family box, which was obviously from my wife, Megan, and the kids. What was in mine? Haribos! Some nice bits, some photos and some cards.”
Pickford has been a fixture in the team since the 2018 World Cup and is now at his fifth major international tournament finals. “I’ve always said in tournaments that it’s not smooth sailing,” he said. “It’s always going to be a rollercoaster. People will have down days, you might be sick of each other for the odd day, that’s part and parcel of it.
“But this camp with this manager … he’ll keep pushing that brotherhood and it’s down to the players to keep driving it. I love every minute when I’m away. Having a crowd of lads, having a bit of fun. Even if I’m getting battered myself, I’ll take it on the chin.”