England face Argentina today in a bid to reach their second World Cup final, a match that will inevitably stir memories of the 1986 World Cup and Diego Maradona, as well as the long-running political dispute over the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
Ahead of Wednesday’s high-voltage semi-final at 1 am, England coach Thomas Tuchel said his players are not preoccupied with the long and controversial history between Argentina and England. According to him, the occasion of a World Cup semi-final is significant enough on its own, without needing any added historical weight.
“Maybe I could say that past history doesn’t matter now, but I’m not entirely sure that’s true,” Tuchel told reporters at a pre-match press conference. “The players know very well what the footballing tradition between these two countries is like, and what this match means. You can’t simply dismiss a fixture with so many memorable moments as just another match. But that’s our job as coaches — to focus on what’s within our control. We’re not talking about past history or those iconic moments in the dressing room. This match itself is a stage for making new history, and everyone’s attention is already firmly on it.”
With the pressure of the match building, Tuchel and his coaching staff are trying to keep their tactics as simple as possible in order to ease the burden on the players. The winner of this match will face Spain in the final next Sunday.
“The bigger the stage, the greater the tension. So we’re trying to keep our plans as simple as possible, so the players can express themselves perfectly on the pitch,” Tuchel said of managing the pressure.
England have not reached a World Cup final in the 60 years since winning the tournament on home soil in 1966. Still, Tuchel believes this long wait carries no additional weight. “I don’t feel any mental pressure. That said, there will naturally be some nerves and excitement before tomorrow’s — today’s — match, which is completely normal ahead of such a big occasion.”
Tuchel is reluctant to use history as motivation against Argentina. “We know very well why we’re here and what we want. We reached the semi-final with a strong hunger to win, and we want the next victory. We respect our opponents, but we don’t want to make this match bigger than it needs to be by dwelling on the past. This is a great football match and a great occasion in its own right.”
As always, much of the pre-match discussion centered on Lionel Messi. The Argentina captain is currently tied with Kylian Mbappé as the tournament’s top scorer, with 8 goals.
Speaking about the opposing captain, Tuchel said, “When the ball reaches Leo Messi’s feet, that’s when they start to attack. His passing and technique are at the very highest level, so we have a great deal to deal with. But we’re here to showcase our own style and strength.”
