England ran 117 km against Croatia and Tuchel wants more
The England national team opened the World Cup with a high-impact physical display against Croatia in Dallas – and it was no coincidence. Before the tournament, the coaching staff literally drew a line of latitude on the map of the United States to find the ideal base city: hot enough to acclimatise the players, but without cooking them alive in training.
The logic of the heat
Thomas Tuchel did not arrive at the World Cup improvising. The coach was in the United States last year, during the Club World Cup, studying what it would take for a European team to win in an environment of intense heat. Assistant Anthony Barry was even more direct: he spoke of developing a “heat-proof game model”. To that end, England flew early to Florida, even before the start of the tournament, precisely so that the players would learn to feel comfortable in the discomfort.
The result showed on the pitch. According to FIFA’s own data, the English covered 117 km in total in the match against the Croatians – a higher volume than that recorded by 39 of the other 47 teams in the first round. In sprints in the 20 to 25 km/h band, England accumulated 6.6 km. Only four teams did more: France, Jordan, Brazil and Austria.
Controlled heat, but not easy
An asterisk is warranted: the game took place at the AT&T Stadium, covered and air-conditioned, with an internal temperature kept around 22°C. Outside, Dallas registered 34°C. The protection of the roof helped – but did not eliminate the wear. The humidity inside the stadium was enough to drain several players. John Stones finished the match with cramp in both legs. Tuchel did not hide it: “Some players suffered because it was quite hot and humid, and the game was very intense.”
The coach, however, read the post-match numbers with evident satisfaction. “They really gave everything. The players said it was hard to endure. Everyone was very tired in the dressing room – and I like that, because it means we did something real.”
The road is going to get even hotter
The challenge now is to sustain this pace. The next two group-stage games will be in Foxboro, against Ghana, and in New Jersey, against Panama – stadiums without the same air-conditioning system as Dallas. Forecasts indicate rain and milder temperatures in those ties, which may postpone the problem.
But if England advance as favourites to top the group, the script passes through Atlanta, Mexico City and, possibly, Miami in the quarter-finals. Miami does not have a covered stadium. Temperatures can exceed 35°C with stifling humidity. It is exactly this scenario that the coaching staff tried to simulate from the start of preparation – and why the 3-0 win against Costa Rica in Orlando, on a hot and humid afternoon, is still used as a reference by Tuchel and veteran Jordan Henderson. “It was the best pre-tournament friendly performance I have ever seen,” said the midfielder. “Physically we looked very good.”
The real trial by fire, however, is still to come. Boston on Tuesday is the next destination. And Tuchel knows that pressing the accelerator for 90 minutes in the American heat, round after round, is the only path he is willing to tread.
