England manager Thomas Tuchel has confirmed his side will adhere to the penalty shoot-out framework established by his predecessor, Gareth Southgate, as the team prepares for its first knockout match of the World Cup.
Tuchel’s squad faces DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 BST live on BBC One and iPlayer, a fixture that immediately raises the prospect of a shoot-out.
Before Southgate’s appointment in 2016, England held a dismal tournament record in penalties, prevailing in just one of seven attempts. However, under Southgate, the national team revolutionized its preparation, winning three of four shoot-outs.
Tuchel indicated the Football Association’s long-standing programme would remain intact. “The FA has a programme that has been in place for years and we follow the programme,” he stated. “We are prepared. We have a process, the players have a process.”
Despite the structured approach, the manager acknowledged the inherent difficulty of replicating the pressure of a live shoot-out. “I think it is difficult to simulate the situation,” Tuchel admitted, referencing a comment from Thierry Henry about the inability to recall the walk from the halfway line during his first shoot-out for France. “You cannot train that.”
When asked whether players would volunteer for spot-kicks, Tuchel clarified that the hierarchy is predetermined, though dependent on personnel. “We know who takes them and we know the order but we don’t know who finishes the game,” he added.
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