Hydration breaks helped England's comeback, Tuchel admits

When the first hydration break took place in Wednesday's World Cup last-32 match between England and DR Congo, the customary boos could be heard from the fans. While the majority of jeers were for something that has been viewed with negativity among supporters at this tournament, some of them will have been for England's performance too at that stage. But did the much-maligned splitting of the match into effectively quarters actually become something that helped England?

Thomas Tuchel's side were a goal down in the seventh minute and playing poorly. The first hydration break offered the German coach a much-needed opportunity to speak to his players and regroup. The second also sparked late pressure as Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to secure a 2-1 win for the Three Lions and a place in the last 16, where they will face co-hosts Mexico.

Tuchel's tactical use of breaks

Before the first hydration break, England's statistics were poor: they had zero shots and zero touches inside the box. After the break, they improved to eight shots and 20 touches in the area by half-time. A similar pattern emerged in the second half: before the second hydration break, England had two shots on goal and seven touches in the box; after it, they had six shots and 13 touches, with Kane scoring the two crucial goals.

During both hydration breaks, Tuchel gathered his team around him and was animated in giving instructions, with the players nodding in agreement. "I make the most of it," said Tuchel. "You know I don't really love them. I enjoy football more when it plays out with momentum and players and teams have to find their way into it in these kind of momentums. It is a free-flowing game that is more interrupted than I thought. But they are here, why would I not try and take advantage? I felt today it was easier to speak to players, they were very calm, very receptive. Sometimes the water breaks can be a bit chaotic, everyone tries to encourage, everyone has a message, everyone tries to help. I felt them quite calm and quite focused in the key moments."

Players and pundits weigh in

Former England striker Alan Shearer said on Match of the Day after the first break: "I don't agree with them but it has come at the right time for England. You can see Thomas Tuchel going around all his players because not one of them has put in a performance yet. It has been slow, too many errors, they've been too open and been punished. It has to get better."

England forward Eberechi Eze added: "At times it can sort of change the momentum and give you a bit of time to breathe. Of course, we were on the better side of it this time, but it's part of the game."

FIFA president's view

Tuchel's use of the hydration breaks was noted by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who said: "After an intense start to both halves, England used their hydration breaks well to regroup, re-organise and get on the front foot before finding the net twice in the final 15 minutes. These breaks are so important to give players a break during tournament play, while also allowing all coaches a dedicated moment in every match - not just depending on the weather conditions - to engage directly with their players."

Fan reaction

While many coaches at the World Cup have, like Tuchel, seen the usefulness of the breaks, even if they still don't like the idea of them, fans remain unconvinced. The boos during the first break reflected the general sentiment among supporters, who view the pauses as disruptive to the flow of the game.