ATLANTA (AP) – England hired a German coach to end a 60-year rift, but he will be leaving. world cup In the most British way.
Lost again in the semifinals. I lost again from a position where I could win.
The English media was predictably critical of manager Thomas Tuchel. We lost 2-1 against Argentina on Wednesday..
“Same old story,” the headline read. Another declared: “Tuchel just got smaller.”
Tuchel is a manager who won titles with Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich. Hired to add a second star to England’s kit And the decades-long wait for the first trophy since the 1966 World Cup will come to an end.
The wait continues.
Former England captain Gary Lineker questioned Tuchel’s future, saying he was “brought in specifically to coach us”.
“Is he the right guy to take us forward? He just made a big mistake in a big moment,” Lineker said on Netflix’s The Rest Is Football.
Tuchel’s predecessor, Gareth Southgate, Credited with making England fans fall in love again After years of poor performance, he joined the men’s national team. He reached back-to-back finals at the European Championships, but ultimately fell short, and his cautious approach is said to have cost England in clutch matches.
Southgate’s substitutions and tactics were also criticized when England gave up leads against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals and Italy in the Euro finals three years later.
The English Football Federation’s decision to rely on German players was criticized, but Champions League winner Tuchel was set to make the difference at a crucial moment.
Leading 1-0 heading into the 85th minute, England’s hopes were dashed by Argentine goals from Enzo Fernandes and substitute Lautaro Martinez as they broke through their defence.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney told the BBC: “It’s a real panic. You can’t just score a goal and then give up the ball and give up a chance to score a second goal.” “I think the decisions that Thomas Tuchel made cost us tonight and I think we have to be honest about that.”
Lineker said Tuchel’s tactics and substitutions after taking a 1-0 lead “made no sense to me at all”.
Mr. Tuchel is signed a two-year contract extension I supported his decision ahead of the World Cup.
Coach Tuchel said, “When you lose, you’re immediately criticized. That’s the reality.” “There’s no point in getting caught up in it and losing your head because who knows what would have happened if I had made a different decision.
“I have a responsibility to them. I accept criticism because I accepted them. That’s the way it is.”
Immediately after the defeat, FA CEO Mark Bullingham said: “It’s heartbreaking to see such a close game.”
“The players and Thomas gave their all today and the team, coaches and staff could not have worked harder during the tournament.” he said in a statement. “I want to thank them all, and I also want to say a big thank you to our amazing fans here in the States and back home. We felt your support every step of the way, and we’re all very disappointed that we couldn’t go further.”
England will face France in the third place play-off in Miami on Saturday.
England’s men’s pattern of losing to defending champions Argentina continued at the World Cup.
England have not beaten a traditional major nation in soccer’s biggest competition since beating Argentina 1-0 in the group stage in 2002. Before that, England defeated France in the group stage in 1982.
Argentina and Germany were eliminated three times each, while Brazil, Portugal and France were eliminated by knockout. The team had never won a major trophy, losing to Croatia in the semi-finals in 2018.
But Tuchel does not accept the theory that repeated failures are a problem specifically for England.
“I love looking at these things as football problems and through the glasses of football. So first of all, I always think it can be solved on the football field,” he said. “I don’t really believe in Britain or curses or history repeating itself.”
Britain and Ireland are Euro 2028 co-host.
“We have a contract until the Euros at home and we’re looking forward to that, even though it’s difficult to think that far ahead at the moment,” Tuchel said.
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James Robson is https://x.com/James Saran Robson
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
