Anthony Barry gets emotional in his final World Cup half-time interview, sharing a heartfelt message for the England team.
England assistant coach Anthony Barry’s half-time interviews have been a real treat during the World Cup. For his last one of the tournament, he chose to praise his players.
Barry was first interviewed at half-time during England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the group stage. He said the team had a “complicated and confusing” first half, as the score was 2-2 at the break.
Known for being very straightforward, Barry was a bit softer in his later interviews. At every England game, there’s always one question and one clear answer from him at half-time.
In the first half of the bronze final against France, England played amazingly well and led 4-0. Honestly, they could have scored even more. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka kept breaking through the French defense, while Eberechi Eze and Declan Rice controlled the midfield.
So, there wasn’t much the coaches could complain about. Barry used his moment to send an emotional message to the team.
“No frustration at all,” he told BBC’s Kelly Somers. “I’m feeling emotional and proud. These players are playing with broken hearts. I’ve seen how tough it’s been for them these last couple of days.
“To perform like this, just from pride in playing for England and the team spirit we’ve built over the last seven weeks, has been a real privilege. Some critics might say it’s too late, but we’re still facing one of the best teams in the world.
“That first half, I’m so proud of the boys. There’s still another 45 minutes left; anything can happen. But right now, the team deserves a lot of credit, and I hope fans at home feel the same.”
After Barry’s words, England conceded two goals early in the second half from Kylian Mbappe and substitute Bradley Barcola. Mbappe then scored again to make it 4-3, becoming the top World Cup scorer ever—for now, until Lionel Messi tries to take the record back in the final.