Photo via Sky Sports

'It's my scar, not yours' - Tuchel defends World Cup semi-final subs

England manager Thomas Tuchel has stood by the tactical choices that preceded his team's painful World Cup semi-final collapse against Argentina. After Anthony Gordon gave England the lead, Declan Rice and Harry Kane missed opportunities to widen the margin, while a vital penalty-box challenge from Djed Spence denied Giuliano Simeone an equalizer.

Sensing that the opposition was gaining momentum and that his squad was battling exhaustion, Tuchel shifted to a five-man defense midway through the second half. However, late strikes by Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez overturned the scoreline with barely five minutes of regular time remaining, shattering England's ambitions of reaching a first final since 1966.

Speaking in an England documentary, Tuchel acknowledged that he might have embraced a cautious approach slightly ahead of time, yet insisted that unpredictable opponent strategies and squad fatigue necessitated action. Emphasizing that he alone bears the enduring pain of the loss, the manager dismissed post-match second-guessing regarding his substitutions.

His remarks follow previous criticism surrounding comments he made about the team's identity, alongside skepticism from commentators like Jamie O'Hara and Gary Neville, as well as confusion among some players regarding his late adjustments.

Up nextFootball· 1h ago

No Arda Güler but Vinicius included, Real Madrid's squad for AEK Athens 📋