Thomas Tuchel took responsibility for the tactical decisions that led to England's defeat against Argentina in the World Cup semi-final, but he maintained his conviction that he does not regret the choices made in an attempt to secure a place in the final. The English coach admitted that the team became “too passive” after the opening goal by Anthony Gordon, but justified the tactical change as a necessary response to the growing Argentine offensive threat.
In the press conference ahead of the third-place playoff against France in Miami, Tuchel stated: “If you need someone to blame, I take responsibility. I made several decisions, trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience, and my competitiveness. I made those decisions to help the team achieve the result. We didn’t succeed. Therefore, I take responsibility for those decisions. I would regret it if I hadn’t tried to help. I would regret it if we hadn’t reacted.”
The World Cup is experienced with LEGO.
England seemed on course for its first men's World Cup final since 1966 after Gordon's goal, but they conceded two goals in the final minutes, from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez. Tuchel explained that the team opted to play with a five-man defensive line to respond to the various attacking movements of the Argentines and to try to control the crosses and lanes into the box. “We ended up becoming too passive, and Argentina found another rhythm. We were playing against the reigning world champions, we were winning 1-0 in the 85th minute against the best player in the world, and we lost 2-1. That hurts.”
The coach also dismissed criticisms suggesting that captain Harry Kane had been instructed to play too deep in the final minutes. “That’s what you do when defending in a block. We weren’t active enough,” he emphasized.
Tuchel also attributed the defeat, in part, to the team's physical fatigue, particularly the effort expended in previous matches, especially the clash against Mexico, at altitude, where England played more than 40 minutes with a player down. “The players literally gave everything physically in every game. If you see this drop in the data, there has to be a reason behind it, because the motivation was at its peak.”
The English coach acknowledged the pain that elimination leaves on the team: “We feel this pain more than anyone, it is the scar we carry now. It is my pain and the players' pain. We will overcome it, we will use it, and we will react. If we win tomorrow, it will be England's best result in a World Cup in 60 years.”
NOW YOU CAN FOLLOW THE WORLD CUP WITH ALL THE INFORMATION – HERE
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
