Gordon, Kane Fire England to First Nations League Win Over Czech Republic

Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane score as England beat 10-man Czech Republic 2-0 to secure their first Nations League win under Thomas Tuchel.

PRAGUE, Sept. 29: England earned its first Nations League win under Thomas Tuchel with a 2-0 victory over 10-man Czech Republic on Tuesday, with Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane scoring in the second half.

England had opened its campaign with a 3-2 defeat by Spain at Wembley on Saturday, while the Czechs also lost their opener against Croatia.

England controlled possession early at the Fortuna Arena and nearly took the lead through Morgan Rogers, whose effort struck the post after 15 minutes. Elliot Anderson and Bukayo Saka also came close.

The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the 25th minute when Pavel Sulc was sent off for a high challenge on Anderson. Referee Umut Meler initially showed a yellow card before upgrading it to red after a VAR review.

Despite the numerical advantage, England struggled to break through before halftime. Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar denied Kane in stoppage time with a save from the England captain’s curling effort.

England finally broke the deadlock shortly after the restart. Gordon headed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s precise cross across Kovar and into the net.

Kane doubled the lead midway through the second half, firing home after the ball fell to him inside the area.

England continued to create chances, with Kovar making several saves to prevent a wider margin. Lewis Hall also came close, while a Hall cross was inadvertently diverted onto the Czech woodwork by captain Ladislav Krejci.

The result puts England second in Group A3 on three points, behind Spain, which beat Croatia 4-1 in Seville.

England travels to Croatia on Saturday, while Czech Republic hosts Spain.