Thomas Tuchel has criticised the standard of refereeing at the World Cup, calling it 'erratic' and 'unreliable' after England's dramatic 3-2 victory over Mexico at the Azteca stadium. The England manager was furious after Jarell Quansah was sent off for a bad tackle following a VAR review, and warned his players they must be cautious to avoid further dismissals.
'It's not good enough,' Tuchel said of the officials. 'He [the referee] can send any team out in any moment. It's just erratic, it's just unreliable in matches. Now we have two fourth officials who just scream at you if you put one foot out of a coaching zone. It's just not good enough.' Tuchel also fumed at a penalty awarded against Harry Kane after another VAR check, and a yellow card for Declan Rice in the first minute.
The Football Association is considering an appeal against Quansah's red card, pointing to Fifa's precedent of overturning Folarin Balogun's ban for the USMNT. A successful appeal would allow Quansah to play in the quarter-final against Norway in Miami on Saturday.
Despite the controversy, Tuchel believes England can go all the way. 'It fuels our belief that we are here to stay,' he said. 'We are in a part of the tournament where you just need to find a way to stay in it. From the quarter-final, it's eight teams and everyone can win it.'
England's win was marred by an injury to Jordan Henderson, who broke his wrist during the post-match celebrations and will miss the rest of the tournament. The Brentford midfielder underwent surgery and remains in hospital under observation.
