On June 12, according to local time, The Athletic interviewed Miami FC assistant coach Viktor Ranchuk, who shared details about a secret internal friendly match between the England national team and Miami FC.

England secured two consecutive victories across their recent matches, marking the conclusion of their temporary World Cup preparation. After defeating New Zealand 1-0 last Saturday, they beat Costa Rica 3-0 on Wednesday. However, there was one additional match that allowed head coach Tuchel to further refine the squad before their World Cup Group L opener against Croatia next week.

On Thursday, England played an internal match against Miami FC to wrap up their training camp in West Palm Beach.

The match was closed to media and fans, but The Athletic obtained details about the encounter and the impressions England's players and coaching staff made on their opponents.

Match Format and How It Unfolded

The match consisted of two halves of 25 minutes each (originally planned as three 22-minute halves but adjusted before kickoff), with both teams making numerous substitutions at halftime, followed by an impromptu penalty shootout.

England ultimately won 6-0, scoring 1 goal in the first half and 5 in the second, with Ivan Toney scoring a hat-trick (1 goal in the first half, 2 in the second).

Overall, the primary purpose of this match was to provide playing time for players who were unused against Costa Rica, allowing them to develop in a semi-competitive environment.

How Did Tuchel Approach the Match?

Tuchel quickly dismissed any notion that "Miami must play according to England's requirements, such as formation or playing style," during his conversation with Miami's coaching staff.

Miami assistant coach Ranchuk (also assistant coach for Puerto Rico's national team) explained: "We've been looking forward to this match for a long time. We watched England play Costa Rica, and we thought, 'Alright, I think we can give it a go.' So preparing for this was wonderful."

"The whole situation was different and fantastic. Before the match started, he (Tuchel) said: 'You can play any formation, any tactical setup you want. We just want to see what we can do when we compete.' From my previous experiences with top clubs in friendlies, this isn't common, so it was great to see such a different attitude from the outset."

Although Tuchel didn't speak directly to Miami's players—which Ranchuk interpreted as a sign of respect—one detail stood out.

"He was brilliant at the end of the match," the 39-year-old assistant coach said, "picking up towels and water bottles left on the pitch."

Who Impressed England?

While it's difficult to draw firm conclusions from a match that resembled a training session, Ranchuk was particularly impressed by Henderson's professionalism.

"He was excellent," he said. "He was energetic—not in a way that hurt anyone, but positively applying pressure on our players, and that focus was impressive. To see a player with his career still so enthusiastic in a friendly is remarkable."

Ranchuk also mentioned standout performances from Livramento and Ivan Toney, who is competing with Watkins to serve as backup to captain Kane.

"If I had to pick the most impressive player, it would definitely be Toney," he said. "We deployed multiple centre-backs to control the penalty area, but he didn't just push our defenders back—he created space with excellent timing, demonstrating a very mature performance."

Penalty Shootout and Additional Arrangements

Although unplanned initially, England and Miami conducted a penalty shootout after the match.

"They told us in the final minute that they wanted 10 penalties, then it was changed to 5," Ranchuk said.

Regarding the result, Miami's coaching staff did not disclose it, nor was the shootout recorded.

"For us, the shootout was more important than it was for them," Ranchuk stated. "The pressure that a competitive match brings isn't always present in training, and that was valuable information for us."

Did Key Players Participate?

Although he didn't play, Bellingham left a positive impression on Miami's staff.

The Real Madrid midfielder watched from the stands and took photos with Miami's players after the match.

When Miami assistant coach Viktor Ranchuk took a photo with Bellingham, he remarked: "We're not chasing players for shirts or anything like that—we respect them greatly—but if you asked who took the most photos with our players, it would definitely be Bellingham."

What Did Miami Gain From the Match?

Ranchuk reflected: "We were able to witness firsthand and compare the gap between players we consider top-tier in our league and these elite players. You can see the difference across many aspects. Their decision-making and execution speed are more synchronized, so they waste less time in transitions. By the time you realize what they're doing, it's already too late—that's the core of it. This isn't just evident in one-on-one situations. True, some are faster and stronger than our players, but you can compensate for that in many ways. However, when others make decisions far quicker than what you're accustomed to, it's nearly impossible to compete."