Tuchel defends tactics after England World Cup semi final loss

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended his tactical decisions following the Three Lions' agonizing 2-1 World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina. England had been on the cusp of reaching their first World Cup final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon scored early in the second half in Atlanta.

However, England conceded late pressure from the defending champions, with Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez scoring to secure Argentina's victory. Tuchel acknowledged that his team became "too passive" after taking the lead, which allowed Argentina to create numerous chances.

“

We’re disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances.

"We’re disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances," Tuchel told the BBC. "We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored."

“

We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored.

Tuchel faced scrutiny for his substitutions, particularly the decision to substitute goalscorer Gordon for defender Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute. He explained that he had made offensive substitutions in previous games and that this decision was an attempt to "help the players." He noted that after their goal, "the gaps were far too open," leading to excessive crosses and chances, prompting the change to a back five.

When asked if he believed his tactics were wrong, the former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain coach replied: "No, I believe that’s just the nature of the game. As soon as you lose, you get criticized. It’s just what it is. No one knows what would have happened if we made different decisions. So it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head. I’m responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism."

“

I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players.

Tuchel, who signed a contract extension through to the 2028 European Championships, indicated he plans to honor his contract despite the defeat.

“

We conceded a chance straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open.