ATLANTA -- Thomas Tuchel would've had a lot to compartmentalise on his 15-minute cycle around the grounds of the team's hotel this week. It's a routine he finds that calms his mind and grants him space for fresh perspective on any concerns. He grabs an ice cream and does a few loops of the car park on a bike. He feels it reconnects him with his teenage self. Life was simpler, then.
But as he did his rounds on the bike this week, he'd have had a few things burning in his mind: the fallout from his criticism of the team, the historic rivalry between England and Argentina, the squad's fitness and of course, the tantalising opportunity of snatching a spot in a World Cup final and ending his adopted country's 60-year-wait. Oh, on top of all that, he must figure out a plan on how to stop Leo Messi. Phew.
It's been a lively week. That's what happens when you have a World Cup semifinal to prepare for and a fresh chapter to be written in the England-Argentina rivalry. In short -- these guys have history. Tuchel's final pre-match press conference on Friday offered a 30-minute potted recap with topics covered including Diego Maradona's infamous "Hand of God" goal, the Falklands War and Argentina's lucky navy shirt. David Beckham's red card wasn't mentioned by name, but 1998 and that clash in Saint-Etienne was referred to -- a match where Argentina knocked England out of the World Cup on penalties. It's been 21 years since these two countries last met in a competitive match, but the rivalry is just as fierce.
"Obviously inside and outside the four lines of the pitch it's a match that has a lot of history there, a lot of pain and a lot of things behind it," Argentina forward José López said. "I think we are professionals and we're going to play it like we play every game: until the last ¬second, leaving our lives on the field."
For Tuchel, he's tried to shield his players from the talk, focusing their energy on events they can control. "I think the players are very aware of what this means," Tuchel said. "It's a fixture which provides so many iconic moments. I think you cannot say it's just another football match.
"But as a coach, we do exactly that. We focus on what we can influence. We don't speak about the historic events. We don't speak about the iconic moments. The tension is big enough. So we try exactly the opposite and try to influence the players and what we want them to do. We try to reduce the information as the bigger the stage gets, the bigger the tension grows. The magnitude of the match is just what it is. It doesn't help if we engage emotionally."
Emotions ran high after England's 2-1 win over Norway. The players had managed 120 minutes in the sapping humidity and heat of Miami, but Tuchel's standards are unwavering. He was disappointed with aspects of their performance. Jude Bellingham -- England's star man and completely exhausted -- bristled at Tuchel's criticism. With the dust settled, Marc Guéhi and Ezri Konsa said the team has never been more united.
Tuchel would have watched it all unfold and addressed it with the squad this week. "We come from the same place. We come from being competitive and I am a competitive coach. I push this team to the limit and that was my assessment," Tuchel said on talkSPORT. "I think the question was unfair in this moment towards Jude because he cut all the compliments out of my assessment and just asked about the critical points, so I can understand."
So much of Tuchel's approach to what he hopes will end England's wait for a second star is prioritising the "brotherhood" ethos. That's been fundamental to all the decisions he's made as England manager: from the early days where he tested the water with various squad dynamics, to finalising the 26-man party in May. The collective was always more important than any individual, and that's unequivocal.
"You see the effect of it on match days, but on the highest level, there's a togetherness in the team that is absolutely ready to give everything, every single time and just doesn't give in," Tuchel said. "It makes me very proud."
So it's against that philosophy that England head into their fourth World Cup semifinal on Wednesday. It's been 60 years since they last reached the final, and we all know how that finished, and have heard time and time again about the subsequent wait for a similar moment of footballing immortalisation. "I don't feel a burden," Tuchel said of the drought.
Squad fitness and right-backs will have played on his mind this tournament, but he has a fully fit squad to pick from on Wednesday. Reece James came through his substitute appearance against Norway unscathed. Declan
Rice's stomach issues have returned to some type of equilibrium. Elliot Anderson and Guéhi are both okay to play from the outset. So that's one thing Tuchel can park for his next 15-minute cycle.
One thing that wasn't on his radar this week was Argentina's decision to play in their "lucky" navy blue shirt on Wednesday in a wink to 1986 and 1998. "If there was any superstition combined with it, I'd have done the same, so good luck to them," Tuchel said.
So that's the rivalry, squad fitness, navy blue jerseys, the brotherhood all sorted, but before we've got to Messi. Messi has never faced England. Diego Maradona's legacy is inextricably linked with that 1986 match: the handball, but also one of the most wondrous goals we've ever seen. Messi's place in history is already secured, his spot in football's pantheon long guaranteed. But masterminding a win over England and steering Argentina into their second World Cup final in four years would only add to his already formidable legacy.
England will be wary of Messi. He's enjoyed playing against Premier League teams in the past, but they'd have also watched him score his eight goals in this World Cup. He may be 39 years young, but he can still pull the strings of a match and change the narrative with a swivel of his hips and that wand of a left foot. It's one thing having a plan for him, quite another to stop him.
"It's just like the ball drops to him and he finds the gap," Tuchel said. "He makes himself this two meter space for his left foot and executes the solution at the highest level."
That's a lot to fit into a 15-minute ice cream break. But England are quietly confident. Guéhi says all the pressure is on Argentina, and Tuchel is happily living in the England bubble, trying to keep public expectation and hype at arm's length. But he'll be aware of the madness back home, and the excitement, nervousness and hope that England can finally take that elusive step and reach the final. That's what a 60-year wait does. A spot against Spain awaits the winner. Whatever happens, it's going to be spellbinding. These matches always deliver.
"We are here to impose our style, to impose our strengths. We are here to play the semifinal our way and to push the luck our way," Tuchel said. "We know how big the obstacle is. We prepare for the best version of Argentina. We expect, hope and demand the best of ourselves. We know how the big the ask is, but we're ready for it."