WC 2022 – England, proud despite defeat to France: “In my opinion, the best team lost tonight”

However, young Bellingham has little to blame himself for. At 19, he was one of the leaders of those three lions who, frankly, made the Blues tremble. The England squad later emphasized their pride at having heckled the reigning world champions so much.

No desire to argue about arbitration

“Our performance deserved better, but of course the goals are crucialexplained Gareth Southgate afterwards. I just told the players that they couldn’t have given more, they played really well against a really top team. It is a minimal margin. But the way this team has progressed in this tournament has honestly been wonderful.“.

Launched on the arbitration decisions, the English coach will have been very dignified and refused to enter into a debate, which will nevertheless take place in the media this Saturday in the English press. “It doesn’t make sense for me to talk about it, I prefer to talk about our players and congratulate France. We offered them a real duel“.”We are not happy with some decisions, but in the end we are the ones who lost and therefore we are responsible for this defeat“, finished Declan Rice in the mixed zone.

It was ultimately Rice who was the most comprehensive and perhaps the most candid when discussing this quarterback that ended up eluding them. “We didn’t necessarily feel too confident, but still enough to think about passing and beating France. Apart from their two goals, I don’t recall seeing them being creativeadvanced the West Ham midfielder. In my opinion, the best team lost tonight and that proves our level“.

Golden future?

But these young men have a future and still have a lot of desire. If Gareth Southgate did not want to comment on his future in charge of the Three Lions, his work since 2016 has allowed this team to get a little closer to the heights. Missing that bit of luck, experience, that little extra thing to switch to the good side.

It is Rice, again, who best sums up this exuberant but still winless team: “If you look at the team, we are young. With many good players. We find a level where people start believing in us again, the country pushes us. For some years it was not the case, so we can be proud of ourselves, but we have to go back. Because at the end of the day, international football is judged on success“.