England manager Thomas Tuchel has defended his tactical decisions during his side's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina, saying he has no regrets despite criticism over his second-half substitutions.
England led 1-0 before Argentina mounted a late comeback with goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez to book a place in Sunday's World Cup final against Spain.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's third-place playoff against France in Miami, Tuchel dismissed suggestions that his substitutions cost England a place in the final.
"If you are asking if I regret my decisions, then I say no," Tuchel told reporters.
"I don't regret my decisions because I felt that we became too passive. I took several decisions, trusting my instinct, my intuition, my experience and my competitiveness to help the team get the result."
He added that he would have regretted doing nothing.
"I would regret if I didn't help. I would regret if we didn't react, but I have no regrets over the decision itself."
Tuchel rejects criticism
The German coach has faced widespread criticism after introducing defensive substitutions while England held the lead, with many pundits blaming the changes for shifting momentum in Argentina's favour.
Tuchel, however, said football was too complex to judge a match based solely on substitutions.
"No one knows the outcome of any other substitution or any other changes," he said.
"If drama is needed and if the blame game needs to be played, okay, you can do that. But I have the right not to engage in that."
When asked about comments describing his tactics as "cowardice", Tuchel declined to respond directly.
"I don't read praise and I don't believe in comments like this," he said.
Focus shifts to France
Tuchel admitted England's demanding schedule may have contributed to the team's second-half struggles.
He pointed to the physically taxing last-16 victory over Mexico at altitude, the extra-time quarter-final win against Norway in Miami's intense heat, and extensive travel during the tournament.
Despite missing out on the final, Tuchel believes victory over France would still represent a significant achievement.
"If we win the game tomorrow, we have the best result at a World Cup in 60 years. That's the perspective."
England won the World Cup in 1966 but have never won a third-place playoff, losing both previous matches after reaching the semi-finals in 1990 and 2018.
Tuchel confirmed he would rotate his squad against France but stressed the match remains important.
"Nobody wants to be in this game tomorrow. All four teams wanted to be in New York for the final, but it is an official World Cup game."
"It is a big game against one of the very best teams in the world. It's a chance to show what we are made of and how far we've come."
