England assistant manager Anthony Barry paid tribute to “11 young men who were hurt” in an emotional interview. The Three Lions scored four points in the first half to take on pre-tournament favorites France.
Bukayo Saka scored twice, following shots from Declan Rice and Ezri Konsa, giving England a quick two-goal lead. The 1966 champions’ frenetic first-half performance came just days after their heart-breaking World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina. Tuchel’s side were forced to bounce back in Miami, three days after late goals from Enzo Fernandes and Lautaro Martinez sparked an unexpected comeback by the defending champions.
During the final half-time interview, Thomas Tuchel’s right-hand man could not hide his true feelings. “No, to be honest, it doesn’t bother me,” Barry said.
“I’m a bit emotional and struggling to find the words to express how proud I am of these players. They come into the game with broken hearts.
“You’re seeing 11 players heartbroken, you’ve seen them heartbroken over the last two days. They were able to build on performances like that by playing for England. It was a privilege to see the team spirit that we’ve built over the last seven weeks. “I know the cynics will say ‘too late’, but we’re still playing against a world-class opponent.
“I’m very proud of those 45 minutes. There’s still 45 minutes left. You never know what can happen in isolation, but I’m proud of my team and I hope everyone back home is too.” Barry was right to be cautious as Didier Deschamps’ side stormed back in the second half to halve the lead.
Kylian Mbappé and Bradley Barcola scored twice in six minutes to reduce the arrears, with the Real Madrid star adding a third for France. Saka thought the Three Lions added a third goal, England added a fifth and Ousmane Dembele scored France’s fourth in stoppage time to put the game beyond reasonable doubt, but Jude Bellingham rounded out the scoring.
It was a disappointing end to an expensive tournament for France. Reports suggest this game could be Deschamps’ last game in charge as Zinedine Zidane faces mounting speculation over who will replace the World Cup-winning tactician.
Barry’s emotional interview came amid growing criticism and scrutiny of Tuchel following their semi-final defeat. The German was booed during preparations for the bronze match.
Ahead of the third-place match, Tuchel took a challenging stance regarding his future. He said, “I want to paint my own pictures.
“I think it’s a powerful statement for you to come out here and represent that half the country is against me, or that the country is divided. Let’s wait. What’s the problem? Even if I want to keep my job, my mind will never change.”
