Tuchel Reflects on World Cup Heartbreak
Thomas Tuchel has spoken about England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, describing the team as waiting for death during the match. England took the lead through Anthony Gordon, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez secured a 2-1 victory for Argentina. Tuchel, who is preparing to name his squad for England's first matches since the tournament, said he remains haunted by the pain of the loss. The German coach was widely criticised for making defensive substitutions in the second half that allowed Argentina to seize the initiative.[S1]
Tuchel explained that his decisions were influenced by England's visible fatigue and their earlier success with a five-defender system in wins over Mexico and Norway. He felt he had to act because England could not cope with Argentina's attacking changes. The former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich manager had promised to make England more attacking than under predecessor Gareth Southgate, but instead the team retreated and cracked under pressure. Tuchel insisted that no one is more hurt than him and that he made the changes to help the team, not for his ego.[S1]
