England captain Harry Kane says the team still has another gear to find as they chase a first World Cup title since 1966.
England edged Norway 2-1 after extra time on Saturday and now face Argentina in Wednesday’s semi-final in Atlanta (20:00 BST, live on BBC One and iPlayer).
After the quarter-final, head coach Thomas Tuchel voiced his displeasure with the display, saying England were fortunate, sloppy, made numerous technical errors and lacked speed and consistency.
Kane, 32, has scored six goals at this tournament and is England’s joint top scorer alongside Jude Bellingham.
The skipper suggested Tuchel’s frustration stems from the team not reproducing their training standards in matches.
Kane said the manager sees their closeness and attacking quality in training—especially one-on-ones and individual skill—and wants that same version on the pitch.
He acknowledged it’s not straightforward against strong opposition, but believes Tuchel is pushing them to reach an extra level the players know is there.
So far, that level has only appeared in flashes, including against Norway, and the team hasn’t yet had the sustained control they feel they can achieve.
With a semi-final against one of the world’s top sides ahead, Kane is encouraged that England are in the last four and still see room to improve.
He added there’s no need to overreact, as the team is showing plenty of positives.