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England head coach Thomas Tuchel has urged his players to remain calm and avoid complacency ahead of their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash against DR Congo, saying the tournament has shown that even favourites are being pushed to the limit, according to ESPN.
Speaking ahead of England's knockout fixture, Tuchel pointed to a series of closely contested matches, including Canada's stoppage-time winner against South Africa, Morocco's late equaliser before prevailing, and Germany's penalty shootout defeat, as evidence that the margins between teams have become increasingly narrow. "What it shows to me... Canada found a winner in stoppage time [against South Africa], Morocco equalised in stoppage time then it went all the way. Germany went all the way to penalties. I think it can calm us down in a way. It is just narrow margins. It is tight football matches and it helps us not to over-expect and put it in the right framework, what has happened in this World Cup," Tuchel said, as quoted by ESPN. The England coach said teams at the tournament are tactically disciplined and difficult to break down, particularly when facing higher-ranked opponents. "Teams are well drilled, teams defend on the highest level, teams are well prepared, and it is difficult for any team to break teams down, especially when you arrive as favourite and face teams with nothing to lose. For me, it helps us to calm our minds, accept the situation and make the most of it. Our opponent will play in the role of underdog, which is always the easier role," he added. Tuchel said England would approach the match with humility and focus on adapting to the demands of the game rather than relying on pre-match expectations or rankings. "But we accept this and we know how to handle it. Nothing changes for us. We will have a humble approach. We will have an approach where we focus on us and we put it in the right perspective. It doesn't matter what the FIFA rankings says tomorrow or what FIFA think the game should be," Tuchel said. We will answer the question the game demands, while the game is being played and for that we need freedom, a proper mindset, we need to be calm and be ready to perform. I think we are," he said, as quoted by ESPN. Meanwhile, Reece James and Jarell Quansah have been ruled out of England's FIFA World Cup last-32 match against DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday. Quansah sustained an ankle injury during England's final group-stage win over Panama on Saturday, while James is sidelined with a hamstring problem. The pair were the only members of the squad who did not participate in training ahead of the knockout fixture, as per Sky Sports. (ANI)
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