Tuchel critical of 'lucky' England despite World Cup semi-final spot

England has secured a spot in the World Cup semi-finals, advancing after a grueling quarter-final match against Norway that required extra time. While the team and fans celebrated the victory in Miami, coach Thomas Tuchel was far from pleased with their performance. He described the win as 'lucky' and criticized the team for playing 'sloppy' with numerous technical errors and a lack of pace.

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We got lucky. We made life very, very difficult for ourselves. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It's amazing but [I am] not happy with the performance - in every sense.

"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves," Tuchel stated after the match. "The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It's amazing but [I am] not happy with the performance - in every sense." He pointed to a lack of speed and repetitive play as key issues, suggesting that only 'pure mentality' had carried England through.

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We made life difficult for us in the way we played and how we played – sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough.

However, players like Jude Bellingham, who scored twice, offered a different perspective. Responding to his manager's comments, Bellingham acknowledged the difficulty of the match and praised his teammates' effort. "All the players have put in a tough shift," he said. "You can't win every game popping the ball and making 1,000 passes, sometimes you have to win dirty and we did that today."

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This is pure mentality.

England's path to the semi-finals has been marked by inconsistent performances, including a draw with Ghana and narrow wins against Panama, DR Congo, and Mexico. Tuchel, while expressing love for his players, believes they are capable of much better. The team now faces the challenge of improving their play as they prepare for the next stage, with questions remaining whether character alone will be enough to secure their second World Cup title.

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Yeah well, whatever. It's difficult out there, it's a tough shift. All the players have put in a tough shift. My thoughts and appreciation goes to the players our there who put in a great shift.