England squad ‘completely together’ for Argentina semi-final, says Harry Kane
England captain Harry Kane has stated the squad is “completely together” as they prepare for their World Cup semi-final match against Argentina. This follows comments made by Jude Bellingham regarding manager Thomas Tuchel’s assessment of their recent performance against Norway.
England secured their spot in the final four after a 2-1 victory over Norway in Miami. They are now set to face Argentina in Atlanta. Tuchel, speaking immediately after the Norway match, expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance, stating they “got lucky” and he was “not happy in every sense.” Bellingham responded to these remarks by saying, “Yeah, well, whatever. It’s difficult out there – it’s a tough shift.”
Kane addressed the situation, emphasizing that the England camp is not divided. He suggested that such comments can easily be misconstrued, especially when made shortly after an intense match. “When you are playing a game like that and to be asked a question five minutes after the final whistle, and he didn’t really know what had been said, what do you want Jude [Bellingham] to say?” Kane explained. He added, “We had just been through a battle. It is easy to try and create this division – it seems like an English thing to do at these major tournaments. But it is the complete opposite. The group is where we are because of our complete togetherness – not just the players, the coach and the staff. Things sometimes get made out to be more than they are.”
Tuchel’s managerial approach and the Argentine challenge
Kane also commented on Tuchel’s managerial style, noting its difference from that of his predecessor, Sir Gareth Southgate. He described Tuchel as someone who “wears his heart on his sleeve” and whose communication is unscripted, which players appreciate. “When it just comes natural you believe in that, you believe in what he is saying, you believe in his approach. He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy,” Kane stated.
England’s path to a second World Cup final appearance is blocked by Lionel Messi’s Argentina. Left-back Nico O’Reilly expressed excitement about the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to play against the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. This will be Messi’s first encounter with England, and potentially his last at an advanced age. O’Reilly, a Manchester City defender, has not faced Messi at club level either. “I can’t wait,” O’Reilly said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He’s coming towards the end of his career. For me personally, he’s the best player to ever touch a football pitch. And yeah, I can’t wait for the challenge.”
Messi began the tournament with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Algeria, becoming the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history by equalling Miroslav Klose’s record. He has since scored more, bringing his career World Cup tally to a significant number, placing him joint-first with France’s Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.
Despite Messi being a significant threat, England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford cautioned against focusing solely on him, highlighting the other talents within Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina squad. “We all know how good Messi is but we also know how good Argentina are. We can’t solely rely on [stopping] Messi. We’ve got to focus on their other strengths and the weaknesses we can take advantage of,” Pickford noted from England’s training base in Kansas.
Historical rivalry between England and Argentina
The rivalry between England and Argentina has a deep history, marked by significant moments in past World Cups. Diego Simeone, now the Atlético Madrid coach, recalled the 1998 World Cup encounter where David Beckham received a red card after Simeone’s reaction to a foul. Simeone described that match as the “best international match I’ve played in,” noting England’s performance with men for 70 minutes. He also recalled the incident with Beckham, stating, “It was not just my fault. There’s a ref involved, too.” He acknowledged that Beckham had a difficult period after the incident, but felt the press’s blame was unfair.
In the 1998 match, Michael Owen’s goal, making it 2-1, was a memorable moment. Owen, who was at the time, described his thought process during the run that led to the goal. Simeone admitted that Argentina had not anticipated Owen’s impact, saying, “He was a shock to us. We hadn’t seen him play.” The match concluded with England losing 4-3 on penalties. Simeone expressed the joy of that victory, stating, “Knocking out England, with all the history that goes with that, was a huge joy.”
Revenge for England came in 2002 when they triumphed 1-0 in Sapporo, with Beckham scoring a penalty. The foul that led to the penalty was committed by Mauricio Pochettino on Owen. Pochettino, when asked about the challenge, has good-naturedly suggested it was a dive. Owen himself conceded, “I could have stayed on my feet, the defender’s caught me and I did have a decent gash down my shin from it – but I could have stayed up.”
The winner of the upcoming semi-final will advance to face either France or Spain, who are scheduled to play each other on Tuesday at 20:00 BST. The World Cup final is set to take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July, at 20:00 BST.
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Source: bbc.com
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
