England Carries 'Scars' of World Cup Exit – Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel, the England boss, has said that his team will carry the 'scars' of their painful World Cup exit. They lost 2-1 to Argentina in the semi-finals in Atlanta on Wednesday. England's players, including captain Harry Kane, had put in a great performance, but late goals from Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez turned the match around.

Tuchel was downbeat as he took questions alongside former Manchester City defender John Stones, saying he and his players would suffer the most. 'We have to live with this, so it's our pain, my pain and the players' pain — we feel the most pain of all,' he said. 'And it is our scar that we carry now. It is a very painful defeat, and we have to live with this defeat, first and foremost,'

The former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss said England still had a gap to bridge to reach the standards of the top nations. 'I think the gap is there because of the titles that Argentina, France and Spain have as national teams, as countries,' he said. 'What they built over many years with the coaches and the team, there's still a slight gap that we have to close.'

Tuchel promised a reaction from his men. 'We will overcome it, we will use it, we will have a reaction and it starts from tomorrow,' he said. 'We have a gap to close, and we are aware of that, and that's where the focus is.'

The gap, Tuchel said, shows in almost the expectations of these countries to win a World Cup and to be in a final. England, fourth in the FIFA rankings, still has some way to go before they can be considered among the top nations. However, Tuchel is confident that his team can close this gap.

Tuchel has been heavily criticised for his defensive substitutions in the semi-final defeat against Argentina. But he defended his decisions, saying he was trying to help the team get the result.

The England players, including Harry Kane, have been praised for their performance in the World Cup. But they now have the task of bouncing back from a painful defeat.

The team's next match is a third-place play-off against France in Miami on Saturday. The match will be a good opportunity for England to show their strength and character.