Thomas Tuchel has opened up about England's painful World Cup semi-final exit, describing a feeling of helplessness as his team lost 2-1 to Argentina. The head coach said he felt his side was 'waiting for death' in the closing stages, prompting his much-debated defensive changes.
Anthony Gordon had put England ahead, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez sent Argentina through to the final. Tuchel, speaking in a documentary on the team's official app, explained that visible fatigue and Argentina's relentless attacking substitutions forced his hand. He pointed to a big chance conceded just before a water break as the critical moment.
"You can try to kill me here. But it’s my scar, it’s not your scar," Tuchel said. He added that no one felt the defeat more keenly than he did. The coach argued his intervention was an attempt to help a struggling team, not an act of ego, as England retreated into a shell under pressure.
The loss in July remains a painful memory, but England's form since has been strong. They currently sit first in their World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games, one point clear of Croatia. Their recent results show four wins from their last five matches, a run that includes a 6-4 victory over France.
Attention now turns to the Nations League, with Tuchel set to name his squad for upcoming fixtures against Spain, Croatia and the Czech Republic. The first of those is a home match against Spain on 26 September. England will be without the injured John Stones, Dean Henderson and Dan Burn for that contest, while Jude Bellingham leads the scoring charts with seven goals this season. The team will then face Croatia away on 29 September, a key match as Croatia are their closest rivals in the World Cup qualifying group. Fans can check the latest squad news and the full fixtures schedule on the team's official pages.
Tuchel's documentary interview provided further detail on the semi-final defeat. He revealed that the team's physical data showed a significant drop in output from several key players in the final twenty minutes, which informed his decision to make defensive substitutions. He described the atmosphere on the bench as one of grim acceptance, with players too exhausted to mount a counter-attack. The coach also addressed the criticism of his tactics directly, stating he believed bringing on fresh defenders was the only way to see the game through to extra time, a plan undone by Argentina's late winner.
This story first appeared at Dawn Sport
