US President Donald Trump has joined in the criticism of England’s tactics in their World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina, questioning Harry Kane’s “defensive” role in the second half.
Coach Thomas Tuchel’s second-half changes were criticized by pundits and fans after the 2-1 defeat as Argentina scored two late goals to set up Sunday’s final against Spain (20:00 BST).
BBC Sport reported on Thursday that a number of key players were left disappointed with the way England were ordered to finish the game after taking the lead through Anthony Gordon.
Tuchel reverted to playing with a back five and made a number of defensive changes in the closing stages as Lionel Messi inspired a dramatic comeback.
“There is a great player in England who I played golf with. And it’s Harry (Kane) who has done fantastic,” Trump said.
“I think they may have made a mistake when they made him a fullback. What do I know about football? They took the initiative, took their best player and put him in defense.”
“We had to be a little aggressive, right. But no, I won’t call it that, what do I know about coaching? But it was a little unusual.”
Tuchel was quick to brush off Trump’s criticism, which was later mentioned to him at a press conference.
Speaking at Trump Tower on Friday, the president also recounted the moment he asked FIFA to reconsider the one-match ban on US striker Folarin Balogun.
Balogun, 25, was prepared to miss the round of 16 match against Belgium after he was shown a straight red card for a foul on Bosnia and Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic in the previous round.
But FIFA made the shock decision to suspend the automatic one-match ban for 12 months, sparking widespread criticism.
Trump said: “This tournament is like no other. It is filled with fierce competition and unforgettable moments. Probably the most memorable thing was when this gentleman was given… a red card?”
“And I had to call Gianni (Infantino). I said, “Gianni, I’d like to make a recommendation. Let this guy into the game!” No, I didn’t say that. I said that I would like to file a complaint.
“I actually had no idea what was going to happen, but you know it happened because there is no disagreement. (Belgium) won the game and we had all their players on our team. If you think about it, you made another great decision, but you will never get credit for it.”
Trump also thanked FIFA President Infantino and called the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada “the most successful sporting event perhaps in the history of the world.”
Infantino said the World Cup “exceeded expectations.”
“The American dream, Mr. President, has become a reality. We brought the world together in America,” he said.
“This is not just the greatest World Cup of all time, it is the greatest human, social and cultural event that humanity has ever witnessed, and we are all part of it, and for that I am very grateful to you, Mr. President.”