Tuchel: We respect our opponent, but we don't delve into history or make it bigger than it is

England are preparing for a hugely significant semifinal clash against Argentina. The winner of this match, to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, will earn a place in the final against Spain. The biggest concern for the English remains Lionel Messi. The Argentine shares the tournament's top scorer spot with Kylian Mbappé on eight goals and has set an absolute World Cup record with 21 career strikes. England manager Thomas Tuchel admitted he is seriously considering an old-fashioned man-marking job on the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. "I have thought about whether we apply proper man-marking in an old-fashioned style. I'm not sure we will, but it has crossed my mind. When you analyze matches, you feel he sees things earlier than anyone else on the pitch," Tuchel said in his pre-match press conference. The manager praised Messi's ability to find space even in the tightest defense: "The ball drops to him, he finds a gap, creates room for his left foot, and then executes at the highest level. That's his superpower. If we shut down one strength in their game, he will find or create another." Despite the rich and often controversial political and sporting history between England and Argentina, Tuchel refused to use it as extra motivation for his players. "We don't use that as fuel. We respect our opponent, but we don't delve into historical events or make them bigger than they really are. We are in a semifinal and we come very hungry to win," the coach stressed. On the squad front, almost every player is ready to start. The only two exceptions are Jordan Henderson (broken arm) and Jarell Quansah (suspension). England's path to the semifinal has been extremely tough: a dramatic win over DR Congo, a battle with Mexico at the famous Azteca stadium, and a draining overtime against Norway in the Miami heat. "It's non-stop knockout football: red cards, VAR checks, overtime, heat, altitude, and constant travel. We've been on a roller coaster. It's a bit exhausting, but at the same time it fuels me and makes me feel alive," Tuchel described. When asked by journalists how he finds time to rest in such a crazy schedule, the German replied with humor: "Sometimes you just go for a bike ride, you need a big parking lot and an ice cream in your hand for 15 minutes — and you feel 15 years old, not 50. You enjoy a warm summer evening... Sometimes that's all you need."