‘They made Kane a defensive player’ — Trump criticises Tuchel’s tactics in Argentina loss

By Ayobami Okerinde

United States President Donald Trump has criticised England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical approach in the Three Lions’ 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals, saying it was a mistake to deploy captain Harry Kane in a defensive role after taking the lead.

Speaking on Friday, Trump said England abandoned their attacking approach after Anthony Gordon’s opener, allowing the defending champions to stage a late comeback and secure a place in Sunday’s World Cup final against Spain.

“You have a great player in England who I’ve played golf with. And he is Harry [Kane] who has been fantastic.

“I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, and they took their best player and put him on defence.

“We got to be a little offensive, right. But no, I’m not going to call it, what do I know about coaching? But that was a little unusual.”

Trump’s comments come amid criticism of Tuchel’s second-half tactical changes after England surrendered their lead. The German coach switched to a back five and introduced more defensive-minded players, while Lionel Messi inspired Argentina’s late turnaround.

Several England players were reportedly unhappy with the tactical instructions they received after taking the lead.

Tuchel, however, had earlier dismissed criticism of his tactical decisions following the defeat.

Trump also commented on FIFA’s decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban imposed on United States striker Folarin Balogun after his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Balogun had initially been ruled out of the United States’ Round of 16 clash against Belgium before FIFA suspended the ban for 12 months, a decision that generated widespread debate.

Reflecting on the incident during a reception at Trump Tower, Trump said:

“This has been a tournament like no other. Filled with fierce competition, unforgettable moments. Probably the most unforgettable is when they gave that gentleman… is it a red card?

“And I was forced to call Gianni [Infantino]. I said ‘Gianni, I’d like to make a recommendation. Let the guy in the game!’ No, I didn’t say that. I said I’d like to wage a complaint.

“And actually I had no idea what was going to happen, but you know it is so much better the way it worked out because there is no controversy. [Belgium] won the game and our team had all of its players. You made another great decision if you think about it, but you’ll never get credit for it.”

Trump also praised FIFA president Gianni Infantino and described the tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, as “the most successful sporting event, maybe in the history of the world.”

Infantino said the competition had surpassed expectations.

“The American dream, Mr President, came to reality. We united the world in America.

“This is not just the greatest World Cup of all times, it is the greatest human, social and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed and we are all part of it and for this I thank you very much, Mr President.”

England were eliminated after Argentina came from behind to win 2-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final, setting up a World Cup final clash with Spain. Before England’s exit, the White House had publicly backed the Three Lions to win the tournament following the United States’ elimination.

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