Former US President Donald Trump has joined the wave of criticism against England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical decisions following the team’s loss to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final. Trump publicly questioned the “defensive” role assigned to striker Harry Kane during the second half of the match.
After taking the lead through Anthony Gordon, Tuchel opted to play defensively—a decision that proved costly. Lionel Messi’s Argentina scored twice in the final minutes, securing a spot in the World Cup final and sparking a massive backlash against the German coach.
Trump’s Commentary on the “Defensive” Shift
Commenting on the match, Trump said:
“England has a fantastic player I’ve played golf with, Harry Kane, who is playing at an amazing level. I think they made a mistake when they turned him into a defensive player.”
He added with a touch of irony:
“What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, then pulled their best player back and put him in defense. We should have been a bit more aggressive, right? I won’t judge, as I’m no expert, but that move was very unusual.”
Tuchel Stands Firm
Despite the heavy criticism, Thomas Tuchel refused to admit any fault in his defensive approach. On the contrary, he claimed that England played one of its best matches and did not deserve to lose.
