England changing its World Cup narrative with ‘resilient’ run after years of criticism

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Any semblance of the usual discourse around an England team, which even in the national team’s best moments so often veers toward melodrama and has a default state of over-the-top, seems to have evaporated into the Miami heat.

If that wasn’t true after England’s 3-2 win over Mexico in Mexico City’s altitude, it certainly is now, after the Three Lions gutted out an extra-time 2-1 win over Norway here Saturday night.

England manager Thomas Tuchel isn’t wrong to say his team still has more to go. It was second-best for long stretches of Saturday, lucky to escape Congo in the Round of 32 and put in a terrible performance in a 0-0 draw against Ghana in the group stage.

What it has, though — and what has changed the conversation around this team — is guile.