Since winning the World Cup for the first and only time in 1966, England has not reached the final again. They seemed poised to end that streak until Argentina scored two late goals, clinching a 2-1 victory in the semi-final.
“I prefer to view these situations through a football lens instead of focusing on supposed curses,” Tuchel shared with reporters. “I don’t put much stock in the idea of an English curse or history repeating itself in these critical moments.
“It involves different coaches, players, situations, and opponents. Ultimately, I believe in the essence of football.”
England took an early lead in the 55th minute with a goal from Anthony Gordon, but Argentina quickly took control as Tuchel’s squad struggled to withstand the pressure and regain possession.
“At that point in the match, it was justified that we took our chance to go up 1-0,” Tuchel stated.
“Regrettably, and quite oddly, this marked a total shift in momentum in the game.
“Argentina embraced more risk, played with a greater rhythm, inspired by the notion that they had nothing to lose anymore, which liberated their play and restricted ours as we began to feel we had a lot to lose.
“I believe it was two entirely different games; the phase before the goal and after it.”
Tuchel has received considerable acclaim for leading England this far, overcoming tough challenges from DR Congo, Mexico, and Norway, but is already facing criticism for his decisions against Argentina after taking the initial lead and adopting a more defensive strategy.
“That’s simply part of the game. Once you lose, you face criticism,” the German noted.
“That’s just how it goes. You can’t predict what might have occurred had different choices been made. It’s pointless to dwell on that and lose my composure. I’m accountable for those decisions; I made them, so I accept the criticism.”
England now faces the undesired consolation of a third-place match against France on Saturday, and Tuchel believes this is not the time to reflect on their achievements with pride.
“Numerous major footballing nations have been eliminated before the semi-finals, so this is an accomplishment,” Tuchel acknowledged.
“However, no one wants to hear that right now—not even me—because we hold ourselves to the highest standards.
“None of these players, nor any French player, are eager to participate in this match. They aspire to be in the final. We gave our all to reach that stage. Everyone competes to win the World Cup, but that’s the reality.”
