Tawalk: The gap with the seniors remains

German manager of the England national football team, Thomas Tuchel, said yesterday that the “Three Lions” players still bear the “scars” of their painful exit from the World Cup in North America, acknowledging a gap separating them from the best national teams. Tuchel faced widespread criticism for his defensive substitutions in Wednesday’s 2-1 semi-final loss to Argentina in Atlanta, after Anthony Gordon had given England the lead before Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the match around in favor of the defending champions.

England will play France in the third-place playoff on Saturday in Miami, while Argentina will face Spain in the final on Sunday in New Jersey.

At a press conference on the eve of the match against France, Tuchel insisted he takes responsibility for his decisions, saying, “I made several decisions under pressure, trying to help the team, but we didn’t get the desired result.” He added, “This pain is ours—my pain and the players’ pain. We feel it more than anyone else, and this is the scar we carry now.”

The former manager of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich clarified that England, ranked fourth in the world, still needs to bridge the gap to reach the level of Argentina, Spain, and France, noting that these teams have built a culture of winning titles over many years.

However, he emphasized that his team would show a quick response, stating, “We will move past this and learn from it. We will have a reaction starting tomorrow. We recognize there is a gap that needs to be closed, and that is our main focus.”