England can't catch a break. Hours after touching down in Kansas City, Tuchel's squad were dealing with a police investigation into stolen boots and balls — and then a tornado warning shut down the city's FIFA fan festival before the evening was out.
The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department confirmed they were looking into a possible theft of equipment from a team vehicle that arrived with items missing. Football Association sources have since said most of the gear has been recovered and insist it won't affect the squad. Maybe not. But it's not exactly the serene, dialled-in World Cup camp you'd want heading into a tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday.
Weather chaos, again
Florida was already a mess — England's friendly against Costa Rica was delayed an hour by a thunderstorm. Now Kansas City greeted them with 30-degree heat at their Swope Soccer Village session, followed by a tornado warning for parts of the city. The FIFA fan festival, a free event for World Cup supporters, was shut early at 5pm by organisers citing safety concerns.
It's a strange backdrop to a World Cup camp. Two weather disruptions before a ball has been kicked competitively, one police investigation, and Tuchel has barely been in the job five minutes.
There were warmer moments. A few hundred fans met the squad at their Inn at Meadowbrook hotel, signs reading 'Good Luck England' lining the road in. Bellingham, Kane, Morgan Rogers and Jordan Henderson stopped to sign autographs. Kane and Tuchel both drew waves when the plane landed.
The bigger picture for England's odds
None of this derails a World Cup campaign on its own. Stolen boots get replaced. Storms pass. But England's preparation has been choppy enough that anyone pricing them as tournament contenders should factor in that this squad hasn't exactly had the smooth, controlled build-up that breeds confidence.
They face Croatia first, then Ghana and Panama in Group L. The group is manageable — but Croatia have made a habit of exploiting England when they're not quite right. The Kansas City Police Department's investigation is ongoing.
