1-0 in a semifinal with the chance to go to the World Cup and your players going toe to toe with the defending champions and you decide that they should just sit as deep as possible and stop playing? Throwing on defender after defender on the field. Damn near a war crime.
1. Argentina were not creating much to warrant shifting to 5 at back
2. Tuchel even had time to ditch the disastrous idea of 5 at back as Argentina were creating chances even before the equaliser
All in all those are the worst in-game changes that you will see. Sold the match.
Egypt manager Hossam Hassan deserves immense credit for the World Cup that he coached. He ensured Emam Ashour was the player to get the most touches to knit their final third play together. He unearthed a link man/box threat in Mostafa Ziko (who did not have any caps) & even prioritised him ahead of Marmoush, to help maximise Salah. Even the inclusion of Haissem Hassan to bring dribbling width vs Argentina was an inspired pick. The balance of Egypt’s attacking play was the best it has ever been during Salah’s time. Look forward to seeing his future work.
Israel murdered the director of the Egyptian Committee in Gaza while Egypt were playing their biggest World Cup game in generations, days after Egypt’s head coach spoke up for Palestine.
This timing is not something anyone should be brushing off as coincidence.
FIFA saw Hossam Hassan wave the Palestinian flag and say "May Allah have mercy on the martyrs of Gaza" and decided there and then right we can't have Egypt winning in the Round of 16.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan took another opportunity at Egypt’s pre-match press conference to double down on his solidarity with Palestine saying “anyone not in solidarity with Palestine doesn’t deserve to live or be human”