Despite a dramatic comeback victory that secured a spot in the semifinals of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup, England national football team manager Thomas Tuchel (Germany) did not soften his stern expression.
Instead, he coldly criticized his team's performance, stating, "We were just lucky."
England secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Norway after a grueling 120-minute match in the quarterfinals held at Miami Stadium in the United States on July 12 (KST), thanks to a multi-goal performance by Jude Bellingham.
However, in the post-match press conference, Tuchel expressed frustration rather than joy over the victory.
"We made the game very, very difficult for ourselves," he said. "The result of reaching the semifinals is fantastic, but I cannot be satisfied with the performance at all."
As Tuchel pointed out, England's flow in the early stages of the match was somewhat stagnant.
They struggled to create opportunities against a defensively solid Norway, recording their first shot only in the 29th minute with a free kick by Harry Kane from the right side of the penalty arc.
Although they pushed Norway back with a one-sided offensive afterward, they conceded the opening goal.
Kane lost the ball near the half-line, and Andreas Schjelderup, leading the counterattack, found the back of the net with a lightning-fast left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area.
"The players showed dedication, but it was sloppy, overly cautious, and lacked sufficient pace," Tuchel remarked, coldly assessing, "We were lucky today."
England, aiming for their first World Cup final in 60 years, will face the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland match in the semifinals in Atlanta this coming Thursday.
"We must improve if we want to go higher," Tuchel emphasized. "For now, I will enjoy the victory today. We have three days to regroup."
(Photo: Getty Images)