Thomas Tuchel expressed his belief that England will improve as they advance to the knockout stages of the World Cup, having secured the top position in Group L.
Following a goalless draw against Ghana, England faced challenges breaking down Panama and found themselves trailing Croatia in the standings at halftime. However, goals from Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane—who became England’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with his header—enabled a solid 2-0 victory, setting the stage for a last-32 matchup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Wednesday in Atlanta.
Tuchel remains optimistic that England can elevate their performance beyond what they displayed against Ghana and Panama, emphasizing the necessity of fostering confidence within the squad.
“These players are used to these moments – they play Champions League and Europa League to the end,” the head coach stated. “They know what it takes. We will step up. The bigger the games get, the bigger we will get. “There is no problem growing into a tournament like this. We have strong belief and trust in each other. It is important we keep believing in what we can influence and what we can improve. The most important thing is not to be afraid and be brave.”
He added, “It was a classic ankle twist and he is in pain,”
Concerns arose for England when Jarell Quansah had to leave the field in the second half after receiving treatment for an ankle injury, having stepped in for the injured Reece James. Tuchel commented, “He said he’s had it before and it was a matter of days. Now he hopes for the same. He has his leg up high and in ice.”
When asked about the team’s thin options at full-back, Tuchel acknowledged the situation.
“Naturally. Of course we have another injury in the position. It will be a tight race for Reece James and a tight race for Jarell Quansah but it is our job to find solutions and we will do that.”
Bellingham, who assisted Kane’s header, is also hopeful about England’s potential for improvement. “We came here to do it in sections and we got through the pre-games well and we achieved the first job: we got through the group and won it,” he shared with ITV. “We know what level we are at and what we want to achieve and we did in the second half. Every day we have to try to improve and it’s up to us to do that.”
Kane matched Gary Lineker’s record of 10 World Cup goals in the opening match against Croatia, surpassing it with his latest goal despite a lackluster first half where England struggled against a resilient opponent.
“Harry is in an amazing state of mind and he is hungry to go all the way in this World Cup,” Tuchel remarked. “We are lucky to have him as captain.”
Kane has netted 70 goals for both club and country this season and is eager for more success. “It’s another proud one to reach,” he said. “Let’s hope it’s not the last instalment. It was a solid performance against a tricky side. We would have liked to see out the game a little bit easier but overall it was a good win.”
