Tuchel defends tactics after Argentina send England packing from World Cup | Sports

England manager Tuchel substituted Reece James for Dan Burn, and Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.

England were looking to protect their lead as time approached towards the end of the World Cup, and coach Thomas Tuchel lined up and changed tactics to build a wall in front of goal.

Argentina and Lionel Messi just pushed down.

Recommended Articles

list of 4 itemsend of series

England led 1-0 at the end of the second half before Messi assisted goals from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the second minute of injury time to hand Argentina a crushing defeat. 2-1 victory Wednesday – is a place in World Cup final against Spain.

Tuchel’s smart decisions in one of the biggest competitions in the big leagues will be scrutinized and criticized for years to come. England missed out on a return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1966.

“They won every header. They kept crossing and crossing. So we went to the back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air,” said Tuchel.

“Once we conceded our goal, without substitutes, we only allowed more crosses and more chances. So we tried to help,” Tuchel said.

“But of course the onus is on the coach. And … if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say it was a mistake.”

Tuchel’s chess game couldn’t keep up with Messi, Argentina’s attacking genius.

England’s defeat was only the second time this century that the team that scored first in a World Cup final did not reach the final, according to Opta. Another team was England in 2018 against Croatia.

England took the lead through Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 55th minute on Wednesday. But Argentina quickly converted and put serious pressure on England’s defence.

Defending their lead, England edged closer to their goal, hoping to build on the unbeaten wall they had as they went on to beat Mexico in the Round of 16 despite going down with 10 players.

Tuchel swapped defender Reece James for Dan Burn, and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.

“We played a good game for many. When we went 1-0, we looked like we were trying, which at this level is not enough,” said England striker Harry Kane.

I’m just disappointed, because we’ve worked so hard to get here.

Fernandez struck just three minutes after the switch for England, hitting the right-hand post from outside the penalty area. Messi opened the game with a pass to the feet of his team-mate, and England’s defenders failed to close him down before unleashing a volley that bounced past Jordan Pickford.

Argentina kept coming, and England’s wall kept falling. The defenders pounced on a cross and missed another header as Martinez sealed it with a close range header as England’s defenders lost a cross from Messi.

“He was tired,” Martinez said. They pressed for 60 minutes and then ran out of steam. They found their purpose and then sat back.