Every team arrives to a tournament in different ways. Some arrive in normal circumstances and everything goes according to plan in terms of their preparations. Others hit metaphorical speed bumps that can hinder the way they prepare for it.
The England football national team has been hit with two such speed bumps.
Sources have confirmed the return of the items that were taken after vehicles transferring equipment to their Swope Soccer Village base in Kansas City were broken into.
Thomas Tuchel and his squad will arrive in Kansas City on Saturday afternoon and the equipment was due to be in place beforehand.
Footwear was among the items stolen but that didn't include any elite boots and nothing game-critical was taken. Police officers, who are in touch with the FA, were on site on Friday night dealing with the matter.
"We have plenty of pairs of boots throughout the season but for the tournament a lot of them will have them personalised," former England defender, Phil Jagielka, told BBC Sport.
"A lot of them may have their own special insoles. Then you could choose whether to have the flag, your initials, your kids' [names], nicknames... All this would have been done months in advance."
It is understood two arrests have been made in connection with the incident.
England had $18 000 (£13,500) of property stolen in a theft from a vehicle that was carrying equipment, according to Jackson County's prosecution office.
Two men, Mustafa Salik and Erfan Kamal, have been charged in connection with the incident, which happened as the vehicle was taking equipment from England's pre-tournament camp in Florida to Kansas City.
Despite the incident the Football Association (FA) have been clear that nothing was taken that would impact their preparations for Wednesday's opener against Croatia.
Of the property taken, listed in court documents, four pairs of football boots; one football; a pair of goalkeeper gloves and training kit were stolen.
Three signed jerseys - valued at a total of $15 000 - were also listed as items taken. It is understood the majority of what was stolen has now been recovered.
The full list of the stolen items
- Four pairs of boots valued at $1 340.60 in total
- Five pairs of shoes valued at $ 1 139.50 in total
- A signed red jersey valued at $5 000
- Two white signed jerseys valued at $5,000 each
- A World Cup ball valued at $214.50
- A pair of goalkeeper gloves valued at $160.87
- Four navy shirts (no value give
- Four pairs of navy shorts (no value given)
- Four light blue long sleeve shirts (no value given)
- Four light blue short sleeve shirts (no value given
- Two stuffed lions (no value given
- Multifunctional power strips valued at $40
- A JBL speaker valued at $149.95
- A Lego set of a Nike Air shoe valued at $99.99
Salik and Kamal each face one count of receiving stolen property, a class D felony under Missouri law, which carries between one and seven years in prison upon conviction.
England defender, Dan Burn, said: "I've not lost anything personally, we found out from you guys [the media].
"It's with the police now so not sure how much I can comment. It's not really been spoken about, so that just shows for us that they aren't too worried about it - it's not really disrupted our preparations."
Jackson County prosecutor, Melesa Johnson, said: "Jackson County will not tolerate any criminal activity that targets World Cup visitors, including the international teams that have travelled here to compete.
"We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work investigating this incident and filing charges immediately. Our office is committed to holding these individuals accountable."
Kansas City mayor, Quinton Lucas, added: "I am grateful for the quick work of the Kansas City Police Department and the Prosecutor's Office in resolving an investigation across several states, helping crime victims recover goods stolen in transit, and ensuring the accused will face prosecution.
"Kansas City's public safety leadership will continue to ensure all are safe and offenders will be held accountable swiftly for any misconduct."
England’s World Cup preparations have taken another worrying turn after Thomas Tuchel’s squad was hit with an emergency tornado warning. The Three Lions were forced to abandon their evening plans and remain confined to their hotel as severe weather struck Kansas City.
The situation intensified at approximately 20:30; when the NWS upgraded the threat level. A "Tornado Watch" was placed on Johnson County, Kansas, where the England team hotel is located.
Simultaneously, a "Tornado Warning" was issued for Jackson County, Missouri, where the team training ground is, and where they trained for the first time on Saturday afternoon.
"Take shelter in a sturdy building, away from windows. Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter," a weather alert told residents.
Thomas Tuchel's men arrived in the Midwest on Saturday lunchtime after a day and a half off in Florida and held a community training session at their Swope Soccer Village base in blazing sunshine at 17:00 local time.
All 26 squad members took part in the community session on Victory Field, where around 700 people were in attendance for the session.
A heavy storm moved in during the early evening and thousands of people in the local area, including the England camp, received an emergency alert on their phones, warning them to take shelter.
The incoming warning saw Kansas City's fan festival shut early for safety reason. A statement from organisers read: "Due to anticipated severe weather, FIFA fan festival will be closing early at 5 p.m. and will not reopen today."
The safety of the public, staff, volunteers and entertainers remains our top priority. Earlier in the day, a couple of hundred people greeted them at their Inn at Meadowbrook hotel in the south of the city when the team arrived at 13:20 local time.
'Good Luck England' and a heart featuring the city's initials read signs dotted along the road to the hotel, with 'Welcome' and an image of three lions on the other side.
While the England delegation remained confined to the safety of their hotel, the impact of the storm was felt across the region. Reports then mentioned that a tornado did touch down in Missouri, though it remained outside the immediate vinicity of Kansas City.
While the England delegation remained confined to the safety of their hotel, the impact of the storm was felt across the region. Reports then mentioned that a tornado did touch down in Missouri, though it remained outside the immediate vinicity of Kansas City.
Many members of the squad and coaching staff had been following the tournament’s progress while watching the broadcast of Scotland vs Haiti, but the coverage on Fox was frequently interrupted and eventually superseded by live emergency weather broadcasts.
Not all preparations can go according to plan. When uncontrollable forces comes together, it can cause all sorts of problems. Disruptions like these can cause issues that can interrupt a smooth flow of actions. The only hope that England can 'recover' from what's happened.