The 10th anniversary of England’s infamous defeat to Iceland is a haunting reminder of their past struggles. Kolbeinn Sigthórsson’s decisive goal slid beneath Joe Hart’s outstretched dive, while Wayne Rooney trudged through the midfield. Harry Kane was left taking corners, and Roy Hodgson faced a dismal farewell press conference. This moment, which feels more like a bad dream, signified the end of England’s Euro 2016 journey.
Prior to Gareth Southgate’s transformative leadership, England’s expectations were at rock bottom. The team had to gradually rebuild its confidence, with a significant milestone being their penalty shootout victory against Colombia in the 2018 World Cup, marking their first knockout win in 12 years.
In stark contrast, Thomas Tuchel’s circumstances are markedly different. Following Southgate’s resignation after the Euro 2024 final, the Football Association aimed to recruit an elite coach. Tuchel’s appointment was influenced by statistical insights indicating his potential to enhance England’s performance in knockout competitions.
Now, Tuchel’s real test begins. England aims to secure a second star on their jersey at the World Cup, yet their progress through the group stage was not as smooth as hoped. Despite a strong showing against Croatia in Dallas, there remain significant issues to address within the squad. Jude Bellingham and Kane have excelled in attack, but the team faces a tricky matchup against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32 on Wednesday.
A misstep in Atlanta could spell disaster for Tuchel. The pressure on England is immense; they have never been defeated by an African team in World Cup history and a mere last-16 qualification by defeating the DRC would not be celebrated.
Tuchel is acutely aware of this dynamic. The recent 2-0 victory over Panama, which secured England’s top position in Group L, was met with indifference.
However, Tuchel embraces the mounting expectations, as this is when he truly thrives. He points out that three of his players—Kane, Jordan Henderson, and John Stones—were part of that fateful match against Iceland. “You will not find great athletes who didn’t suffer big defeats,” Tuchel remarked.
He further elaborated on this theme by referencing a Netflix documentary about Rafael Nadal. “I thought he just wins every match out there every year,” Tuchel commented. “But you see, wow, a year of injuries, a heavy loss there, another big defeat, doubts, sleepless nights. Even if you have scars, it is just the way it is. We all had our losses. Ask me how I felt after our 1-0 against New Zealand. I still remember thinking: ‘Am I good enough, am I good enough? Did I get this right? OK, let’s keep on.’”
Tuchel’s self-demanding nature sets the tone. The friendly against New Zealand last month served more like a training session, yet he still scrutinized his performance. The elite possess an unyielding drive, and Tuchel boasts an impressive 74% win ratio in knockout matches at the club level. He led Chelsea to Champions League victory in 2021 and reached three domestic cup finals, while also winning titles with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. This is where Tuchel excels.
“I tell you a funny story,” he expressed, but tempered his enthusiasm with caution. After struggling to create opportunities in last week’s draw with Ghana, Tuchel anticipates facing a defensive setup from the DRC. Patience will be essential, as the DRC managed to hold Portugal in their group-stage match. Sébastien Desabre’s team will aim to frustrate England and capitalize on any defensive vulnerabilities.
Tuchel is currently dealing with an injury crisis at right-back, with Reece James sidelined due to a hamstring issue and Jarell Quansah out with an ankle injury. He faces a decision regarding Bukayo Saka, who has been battling an Achilles problem. Should he rest Saka, potentially to preserve him for a possible last-16 match in Mexico City? Alternatively, starting Noni Madueke could be a viable option to ensure they secure a swift victory.
England possesses the talent necessary; now they must demonstrate conviction. On the left flank, Marcus Rashford must improve his finishing if he is to keep Anthony Gordon on the bench. Declan Rice will return to team up with Elliot Anderson after being rested against Panama, although both have been managing muscular concerns.
The match could easily turn into a drawn-out battle, possibly even a penalty shootout, an area where Tuchel’s record is mixed. “My first cup final in Germany with Dortmund in my first year, I play against Bayern and against Pep [Guardiola]. It was a nightmare because Bayern and Pep, from 120 possible points they had 130 in the season or something. It was a joke. “We had the next highest number of points and were second. We prepared everything in this match. We needed to twist the tactics, and they twisted the tactics, and we twisted the structure and he twisted the structure. People got tired and it went into extra time. “Then the whistle went and I was just not prepared. I forgot to prepare for a penalty shootout. We ended up asking the players: ‘Do you want to shoot? Do you want to shoot?’ They were ready for it. “And we were absolutely not ready. We lost. A very painful experience and a big, big scar on me. I felt I had let myself down. It was the first time. It will never happen again. From there we started our own programme, our own preparation. “Now I go into the FA and I have on the highest level a penalty programme. We trained it. We have a process in place. We are prepared. This has become a very special part of football now. “We know exactly what is going to happen. This is still no guarantee that you win it. I had crazy penalty shootouts. Now it is on the highest level, thanks to the FA, of course, and thanks to my development. It is just another example that you sometimes have to have a painful experience to understand where to get better.” he recounted. “My first cup final in Germany with Dortmund in my first year, I play against Bayern and against Pep [Guardiola]. It was a nightmare because Bayern and Pep, from 120 possible points they had 130 in the season or something. It was a joke.”
“We had the next highest number of points and were second. We prepared everything in this match. We needed to twist the tactics, and they twisted the tactics, and we twisted the structure and he twisted the structure. People got tired and it went into extra time.
“Then the whistle went and I was just not prepared. I forgot to prepare for a penalty shootout. We ended up asking the players.
‘Do you want to shoot? Do you want to shoot?’
They were ready for it.
“And we were absolutely not ready. We lost. A very painful experience and a big, big scar on me. I felt I had let myself down. It was the first time. It will never happen again. From there we started our own programme, our own preparation.
“Now I go into the FA and I have on the highest level a penalty programme. We trained it. We have a process in place. We are prepared. This has become a very special part of football now.
“We know exactly what is going to happen. This is still no guarantee that you win it. I had crazy penalty shootouts. Now it is on the highest level, thanks to the FA, of course, and thanks to my development. It is just another example that you sometimes have to have a painful experience to understand where to get better.”
As the anniversary of the Iceland debacle looms, England hopes to avoid any parallels with that fateful match.
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