March 24, (THEWILL) – England secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Latvia in their second FIFA World Cup qualifier, reinforcing Thomas Tuchel’s promising start as national team manager. Reece James and Eberechi Eze marked their first international goals, while captain Harry Kane continued his exceptional form at Wembley Stadium.
The match began with a near-miss for Latvia, as a defensive mix-up between Jordan Pickford and Marc Guehi nearly gifted an opening goal to Vladislavs Gutkovskis. However, England quickly took control, with James breaking the deadlock through a spectacular 25-yard free-kick that curled past goalkeeper Krisjanis Zviedris, marking the first direct free-kick goal at Wembley since John Barnes in April 1993.
Kane doubled England’s advantage in the 68th minute, tapping in a precisely worked move initiated by Declan Rice. The goal extended Kane’s impressive record, bringing his international tally to 71 goals and reinforcing his status as England’s most prolific striker.
Eberechi Eze completed the scoring with a remarkable individual effort in the 75th minute. Driving down the left flank, he skilfully manoeuvred past two Latvian defenders before his curling shot deflected over the line. Late attempts by Morgan Rogers and Kane came close to further expanding the scoreline, though Zviedris made several notable saves to limit the damage.
The victory propels England to the top of Group K, maintaining a perfect start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. Tuchel will be particularly pleased with the team’s comprehensive performance, which included a second consecutive clean sheet and a display of attacking creativity that bodes well for future matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
