[Saba Sports News] In the World Cup semi-final, England suffered a dramatic late turnaround and stoppage-time winner by Argentina, crashing out of the tournament before the final. In the aftermath, England head coach Thomas Tuchel’s tactics came under fierce criticism — even former US President Donald Trump could not let the result rest and spoke out publicly. Trump delivered remarks at a FIFA reception recently, stating: “England has an incredible player, Harry Kane. I’ve played golf with him. I think England made a huge mistake shifting Kane into a more defensive role. Though what do I know about football?” Gianni Infantino, who stood beside him, burst into laughter upon hearing those words. Trump went on to add: “They took the lead, yet tasked their best player with defensive duties… Of course, what do I know about football or coaching? Harry’s a fantastic guy.” Notably, Kane himself questioned Tuchel’s tactical approach post-match: “After we scored, whether it was Argentina throwing on more attacking players or us failing to mark man-for-man, we faced wave after wave of their attacks. We fought tirelessly to hold onto our lead, with every teammate throwing their bodies on the line. But in the end, it just wasn’t enough.”
The editor believes that England were just one step away from reaching the men’s World Cup final for the first time in 60 years. However, under relentless pressure and outstanding displays from defending champions Argentina led by Lionel Messi, England kept dropping their defensive line deeper and deeper. They ultimately surrendered their 1-0 lead late in the game and suffered a devastating 2-1 turnaround defeat.