PALM BEACH GARDENS (CBS12 News) — The FIFA World Cup is less than a week away, and national teams from around the globe are making final preparations before the tournament begins.
Several teams have chosen training sites across the United States, including South Florida, where England has been holding camp in Palm Beach Gardens. The squad is using the time to build chemistry, fine-tune its play, and acclimate to the heat and humidity that could play a major role throughout the tournament.
For many of England’s players, the South Florida climate is a significant adjustment.
“We’ve got a lot of players who aren’t used to it,” defender Ezri Konsa said. “We’re here now for the next two weeks, so we’ve got to get used to it very quickly.”
Head coach Thomas Tuchel acknowledged the challenges posed by the weather but made it clear that England is embracing those conditions rather than using them as an excuse.
“We don’t want it to be an excuse,” Tuchel said. “It will be tough. It will hopefully be a long World Cup. There will be a lot of traveling and a lot of adversity from the heat and humidity.”
England has already experienced some of the unpredictable weather common to South Florida, including a training delay caused by lightning.
“We had a delay in training already for almost one hour because of lightning,” Tuchel said. “That’s also the task for us. We want to create an atmosphere where we stay calm, stay patient, and adapt to the circumstances. That’s what it takes to go through a tournament.”
Before beginning World Cup play, England will face New Zealand in a friendly match on Saturday. The team will then travel to Kansas City as it continues its preparations for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.