England manager, Thomas Tuchel, praised his players’ resilience after they came from behind to beat DR Congo and secure a place in the World Cup last 16.
The Three Lions fell behind early in the Round of 32 clash and remained a goal down for much of the contest before captain Harry Kane scored twice late on to complete a dramatic turnaround.
Reflecting on the performance, Tuchel said his side never lost belief despite the difficult start.
“Not sure it was such a rollercoaster,” Tuchel reflected on the game. “We conceded early – it was not up and down, up and down. We conceded early that made things more complicated than they were already.
“After 20 minutes I saw a stronger team that played with more freedom and more threat towards their goal. We created a lot of big chances. Should have maybe had a penalty, we didn’t, we kept the belief.
“This team today did not accept a defeat as an outcome, they just did not accept it. That made me very proud.
“The going got tough and we showed up and got a deserved win.”
The German also commended the mentality and confidence his players displayed throughout the encounter.
“The players were free, the players were not anxious. We didn’t play with fear, we played with freedom.
“We deserved to win but of course in the way it played out it was a beautiful win.”
Tuchel dismissed suggestions that England were weighed down by expectations heading into the knockout fixture.
“100% I did not see any of that today. And it would be so easy to see it and so easy to give in and so easy to accept that narrative. I did not see it and that is very encouraging.
“It shows you the level of determination and focus. It fits into my narrative that I did not feel the weight on their shoulders. We brought the right energy and spirit to the stadium and the dressing room today and that is the biggest takeaway.”
England will now travel to Mexico City to face Mexico in the last 16 on Sunday, with Tuchel already anticipating a stern challenge.
“Not yet guys,” Tuchel responded when asked about the next match. “But it is maybe one of the most beautiful fixtures you can get – Mexico in the Azteca.
“There will be a lot of obstacles in our way. Now we have the platform to believe that when the going gets tough we will find a way.
“My opinion is that we cannot adapt to the altitude, that is a huge advantage that Mexico will have.”
