Arabic version: هاري كين يصر على أن إنجلترا موحدة قبل نصف نهائي ضد الأرجنتين
England captain Harry Kane said the squad are “completely together” as they prepare to face Argentina in a World Cup semi-final. According to the BBC, BBC News, England reached the last four with a draining 2-1 win against Norway in the Miami heat and will meet the defending champions in Atlanta on Wednesday (20:00 BST).
Kane responded to comments by manager Thomas Tuchel, who spoke on the pitch after the Norway match saying England “got lucky” and that he was “not happy” with his side’s performance “in every sense”. Jude Bellingham replied to Tuchel’s remarks at the time with: “Yeah, well, whatever. It’s difficult out there – it’s a tough shift.” Kane said the camp is far from divided and defended Bellingham’s immediate reaction, asking, “what do you want Jude [Bellingham] to say?” He added that “it is easy to try and create this division” but stressed “it is the complete opposite” for the group.
Kane spoke positively about Tuchel’s approach, saying the manager “wears his heart on his sleeve and people appreciate that. When he talks, it is never scripted.” He said players believe in Tuchel and his methods, adding, “He is one of the best managers in the world for a reason. We understand it. Over the past two years we have got to know him and know what makes him happy.”
The match matters because England will face a side led by Lionel Messi, who began the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria and has since taken the tournament lead with eight goals, bringing his career World Cup total to 21. Manchester City defender Nico O’Reilly called the prospect of facing Messi a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford warned that England cannot focus solely on stopping Messi and must consider Argentina’s other strengths.
What happens next: the winner of the semi-final will face either France or Spain in the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, 19 July (20:00 BST).
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