Tuchel believes that the struggle of coming from behind will serve England better in the long run than a comfortable victory would have, noting that overcoming adversity builds the resilience necessary for the deeper stages of the tournament. According to Opta, this comeback was historic, marking only the second time in history that England have won a FIFA World Cup match after conceding the opening goal, with the only previous occasion being the 1966 final against Germany (4-2). This newfound grit will be tested immediately as England prepare to face Mexico in the round of 16.
“We want it easy and have the first goal,” Tuchel explained. “If you have it and come back from one goal down, these are the experiences that give you genuine belief. They are well aware of what they did and what it took today. We kept believing. We had the worst start possible. First shot, first goal. Then, it became even more difficult. After the first water break, we were on top of the game. I think we should have had a penalty. The substitutes came on, and put the effort in, and we won it. Well deserved, but we had to work a lot.”
