Published 02.36
DALLAS. It was a tough decision for Thomas Tuchel to bench Morgan Rogers.
But Jude Bellingham shone in England’s World Cup premiere.
– You can trust him in moments like these, says the national team captain.
Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers from the starting ten?
It has been one of the big debates ahead of England’s World Cup premiere.
Thomas Tuchel’s choice against Croatia ultimately fell on Bellingham – who was one of the goalscorers in the 4-2 victory and put in an extremely solid performance overall.
However, Rogers, who jumped into the second half, was in good spirits as he faced the press corps at Dallas Stadium. Despite the poke.
– I found out this morning. Of course you get disappointed because you always want to play. But Jude is one of the best players in the world, says Rogers, who has accepted his role from the bench.
“Hard to say to Morgan”
Tuchel believes he has seen something special in Bellingham in recent weeks. An attitude that convinced the national team captain that he should start.
– The decision to let him play and show him confidence was based on how in the last 16-17 days he has embraced the team spirit and the way we want to play football, explains Tuchel and adds:
– It is different from his role at Real Madrid.
The German emphasizes, however, that the choice was not easy.
– It was tough to tell Morgan that he wouldn’t be allowed to start, because he 100 percent deserves to do so, says Tuchel and concludes:
– Jude was reliable and did his best to be a really good team player for us.
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