Tuchel Takes Blame for England's World Cup Exit, Defends Tactical Choices

England manager Thomas Tuchel asserted that he takes full responsibility for the team's World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina, despite not regretting his tactical choices. Argentina secured a 2-1 victory with late goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez, advancing to the final.

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I don't regret anything. The team gave it their all and we were very, very close. I think we deserved to be winning one to zero. We played one of our best games, perhaps the best given the circumstances. The team was a ten. We couldn't close it out.

Tuchel expressed that England played one of their best matches under the circumstances, feeling they deserved to be leading. However, he admitted the team became overly passive after scoring the opening goal. "We became too passive after scoring; we conceded many chances and couldn't regain possession of the ball," Tuchel stated in a post-match interview with FIFA.

The manager explained his decision to make defensive substitutions and switch to a back five formation after England took the lead. He aimed to protect the result but acknowledged it led to the team conceding too much space and control. "The responsibility is the coach's. If things don't go well, it's easy to say it was a mistake," he added.

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We became too passive after scoring; we conceded many chances and couldn't regain possession of the ball. From then on, we limited ourselves to conceding many crosses, chances, and shots. We were close, but couldn't maintain the level after our goal.

Despite the disappointment, Tuchel praised his players' effort throughout the tournament, highlighting their extensive travel, play at altitude, and challenging conditions. He concluded by emphasizing that the team gave their all and came very close to reaching the final, but ultimately could not maintain their performance level after scoring.

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The responsibility is the coach's. If things don't go well, it's easy to say it was a mistake.