Bukayo Saka says he “wants to play more” at the World Cup after scoring a hat-trick as England won bronze against France. This was after Thomas Tuchel tactically left him out of the semi-final loss to Argentina.
Saka achieved the treble with a 6-4 win over France in the 3rd-4th place match. This included two first-half goals against England. This was in stark contrast to their loss to Argentina in the semifinals.
While England were defensive and lackluster last time out, the Three Lions showed possession, threat on the counter-attack and ruthlessness in attack. And many people asked the same question. Why didn’t Saka play against Argentina?
“Of course I want to play more games,” Saka told the BBC after the match. “But of course now is not the time to talk about it. I try to do the talking on the pitch. It’s over now. Move on.”
Saka scored a hat-trick against France, including two stylish first-half strikes.
Asked if it was good news for Arsenal fans to see him playing and scoring like this, Saka replied: “Yes. I’m healthy. I’m healthy.”
But Tuchel said despite being “fit”, there was a “feeling” that Rodgers would have more to offer in the semi-final against Argentina.
Tuchel chose Morgan Rodgers instead of Saka in the match against Argentina.
“He did everything right,” Tuchel said of Saka. “I had a feeling in the semi-final against Morgan Rodgers that he was going to be involved in something special, and that was it.”
“The (Argentina) match was so demanding that we had no choice but to make changes due to the flow of the game and cramps.
“Bukayo showed that he is a key player, there is no doubt about it. I didn’t even know he had a hat-trick (against France). I missed the overview of the scorers.”
Analysis: Is Tuchel’s Saka v Argentina call his biggest mistake?
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
Tuchel won the bronze medal for himself and his team, the country’s best World Cup performance since 1966. But despite the thrilling 6-4 win over France, questions still remain.
Saka entered the tournament as the standout player on England’s right flank. If it suits him, he starts.
Statistics showing Bukayo Saka should have started at the World Cup
Now, after a bruising season at Arsenal – which ended with an anonymous performance in the Champions League final – Saka has been forced to sit out the World Cup due to injury problems. He did not start the first two matches of the tournament due to problems that hampered his final two months of the season with the Gunners.
However, despite his injury issues, Saka still showed his ability, even in brief moments. Saka, who advanced to the quarterfinals, had three assists in just 192 minutes.
Everyone knows that Saka, behind Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, is England’s best, most experienced and most successful forward player. But perhaps the most important person in Tuchel was not. It was a big moment in the UK this summer.
Saka should have started against Argentina. Yes, Rodgers assisted on Anthony Gordon’s goal in the semi-final. However, as Tuchel acknowledged after the France game, Saka is a ‘key player’. That’s ironic.
Considering the other problems in the World Cup semi-final, one change may not have made much of a difference. But Saka could have helped. He was part of an Arsenal team that showed defensive resilience throughout the season. His ball-carrying and counter-attacking abilities could have come in handy in the tricky situations England found themselves in.
England’s No.7 finished the tournament with three goals and three assists. Tuchel ended the tournament with disappointment.
Despite winning the bronze medal, this is not the only question surrounding Tuchel.
England won bronze at the World Cup.
For the second time in a row at the World Cup, England were putting their lives on the line with 15 minutes left. For the second game in a row, England were leading and everyone was questioning how they were going. Especially about how they went from 4-0 down to 4-3 and almost 4-4 down.
Yeah, the match didn’t mean much. This is especially true considering the poor defensive capabilities of England and France. But with Tuchel already looking forward to the next stage of his England career, his decision-making at the end of the tournament means he is not off the hook.
Has Britain closed the gap with France?
England manager Thomas Tuchel told BBC Sport:
“We have the ability to close it, and they have the ability to reopen it.
“Eight years ago they (France) were (World Cup) champions, four years ago they were in the final, they were in the Nations League final. There is a bit of a gap but we want to close it.
“I said this game (on Saturday) was the first step towards finishing it. We did it. We beat them. The next game is against Spain in the Nations League.”
Is he still willing to work in the UK? “When you see these games and team fights, you get energy and then sadness.
“Knowing (Sunday) is the final, we’re still going to feel the pain. It’s going to take some time. Overall, it gives us more energy than we need.”
