Donald Trump Questions England Coach's Defensive Strategy in World Cup Semi-Final

Washington DC. US President Donald Trump has also questioned the decision to play England captain Harry Kane in a defensive role in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. He commented that England coach Thomas Tuchel's strategy was unnatural. After England were eliminated from the World Cup, losing 2-1 to Argentina, former players, analysts, and fans have been criticizing Tuchel's strategy. In the second half, with the aim of protecting the lead, Tuchel adopted a five-defender system and fielded players focused on defense rather than attack. Then, inspired by Lionel Messi's performance, Argentina scored two goals in the final moments to secure a place in the final against Spain. According to BBC Sports, some key players in the England team were also dissatisfied with the instructions given by the coach on how to end the game after taking the lead through Anthony Gordon's goal. Speaking at an event at Trump Tower on Friday, Trump praised Harry Kane, saying, 'I have a great player from England who plays golf, he is Harry Kane. He is a wonderful player.' He then sarcastically commented on Tuchel's strategy, saying, 'It seems like it was a mistake to make Kane a defensive player. How much do I know about football? But, when the team had the lead, it was a strange decision to bring your best player back to defend.' Trump added, 'To win the game, one had to be a little aggressive. I am not a coach, so I will not make the final decision. But that decision seemed very unusual.' When asked about Trump's comments at a press conference, Tuchel did not give them much importance and refused to respond.

• Trump also spoke on the Balogun incident

Trump also discussed the incident where FIFA postponed a one-game suspension imposed on American forward Folarin Balogun during the World Cup. After receiving a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, it was almost certain that Balogun would miss the round of 16 match against Belgium. However, FIFA made the unexpected decision to postpone his automatic one-game ban for 12 months, which was widely criticized. Trump revealed that he had called FIFA President Gianni Infantino about it, saying, 'I wanted to make a complaint to Gianni. I didn't know what would happen. But in the end, the way the matter was resolved, it did not cause any controversy. Belgium won the match and our team was able to field all players.'

• 'Most Successful Sporting Event in History'

Trump described the World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, as 'perhaps the most successful sporting event in world history.' He also thanked FIFA President Infantino for playing a role in making the tournament successful. Infantino also claimed that the World Cup exceeded all expectations, saying, 'The American dream has come true. We have united the world in America. This is not only the best World Cup in history, but also the biggest social, cultural, and humanitarian event the world has ever seen.'