Thomas Tuchel hopes that the English players feel proud of their third place in the World Cup, despite not having achieved the title. England secured the bronze medal after defeating France 6-4 in a frantic match at the Miami Stadium, achieving their best result since their triumph in 1966 when they hosted the tournament.
The German coach highlighted the significance of this achievement: “It's the first medal in 60 years, the best World Cup on foreign soil. Therefore, I hope the players can take pride in that over time.” However, Tuchel acknowledged the team's ambition and the pain of the defeat: “We are fiercely competitive, so we hardly allow ourselves to feel proud of third place because, 18 months ago, we set the highest goal… to reach the final and win the World Cup. It's very, very painful when you fail. The pain will linger for some time.”
O MUNDIAL 2026 VIVE-SE COM A LEGO
After the 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals, Tuchel faced severe criticism due to the defensive tactical choices he made after his team opened the scoring. Regarding this, the coach stated at a press conference: “Yesterday's conference felt as if we had been eliminated in the group stage without a win, to be very honest. The best thing we can do is react on the pitch and achieve the next victory. Everything else is just talk, and talking doesn't earn points or victories.” For Tuchel, the team's response in the third-place match was impressive: “I am pleased that we showed a reaction. We wanted that reaction, and it was very impressive.”
The performance of Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick against France, raised questions about his absence in the semi-final match. Tuchel explained the decision: “It was a difficult decision to leave Saka out of the semi-final. I was cautious due to an Achilles tendon injury he has been managing over the past few months.” The coach justified the choice of Morgan Rogers, highlighting his physicality: “I felt that Morgan could offer something special with his physical presence against Argentina.” Tuchel added that the plan was to be able to use Saka, who warmed up several times during the match, but that circumstances changed the final decision. He also emphasized that his opinion on Saka had not changed: “Nothing has changed during the World Cup for me. Bukayo is a fantastic teammate, a fantastic footballer, a key player for us, and that will not change. He proved that today, and I am happy for him.”
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