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If you think England had a mixed night, consider Italy, their opponents in Manaus on Saturday week.
Held to a 1-1 draw at home by Luxembourg, Cesare Prandelli’s team — and his first team, more or less, were on show — can hardly claim to be flying to the World Cup on a magic carpet of confidence.
At this stage of the preparations a manager tends to learn more from his reserves than the elite whose priority is to stay fit and there was enough in Miami to hearten Roy Hodgson, above all Rickie Lambert, who looked every inch an international centre-forward, clever and accomplished and ready to compensate for any mishap that may befall his new club-mate, Daniel Sturridge.
As for the notion that Ross Barkley might be about to eclipse Wayne Rooney at No.10, we got more of a glimpse of the possible long term than an insight into the World Cup campaign.
England player ratings (England v Ecuador)
Barkley did well, nonetheless, and anyone who can take opponents out of a match with a quick turn will be invaluable on the bench over the next few weeks.
I couldn’t understand why Hodgson pointed out that Barkley gave the ball away too often; it was a rare and apparently pointless departure from the managerial textbook. Had he offered such a public analysis of those who made less use of their auditions, it would have been toe-curling stuff, for Chris Smalling in central defence, for example, did little but help Phil Jagielka and Gary Cahill to sleep easy in their beds next week.
Glen Johnson, too, should be able to relax in the knowledge that James Milner, whose experimental selection at right-back was applauded in this column yesterday, will be returned to his day job in midfield. You live and learn and, if Hodgson now knows his first eleven, for better or worse, at least he and Prandelli will be heading for the Amazon on an equal footing.
