England's 3-0 win over the USA was as much about giving Wayne Rooney a proper send-off as anything else.Jesse Lingard and Trent Alexander-Arnold ensured the former captain would end his long international career on a high with two goals in as many first-half minutes, before Callum Wilson killed the game off with a quarter of an hour left.To his credit, Gareth Southgate continues to give new players their chance to shine, with Wilson and Brighton's Lewis Dunk also handed their debuts.Rooney, earning his 120th and final cap, brought the average age of the squad up considerably, 18-year-old Jadon Sancho becoming the first player born this side of the millennium to start for the national side.The starting XI was a blend of new faces and those who had established themselves at the World Cup.It was such a memorable summer that England are obviously trying to build on what they achieved in Russia.That was particularly true for Jordan Pickford, who made history by becoming the first ever English stopper to win a World Cup penalty shootout in the last-16 against Colombia.On that occasion, he had a trick up his sleeve. Just before the penalties got underway, goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson handed him a new drinks bottle which had the names of the takers written on it, along with details of which way they were likely to go.
Pickford's trick from the World Cup
Against the USA, Pickford was at it again:
The former Sunderland man had definitely done his research.
Perhaps that was his secret in June. Where a lot of stoppers lack confidence, he must have known he had a reasonable chance of saving one or two penalties with such solid preparation.
The 24-year-old did not need any help this time around, as not only did the visitors fail to make much impact at Wembley, he was taken off at half-time and replaced with Southampton's Alex McCarthy.
It's still a very useful tactic, however, and it's surprising more goalkeepers haven't started using it yet.
What did you make of England's performance vs USA? Have your say in the comments.