On 2 July (CEST), England will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup. Ahead of the match, England player J. Pickford held a press conference.

You'll be playing in an indoor stadium tomorrow. What are your thoughts on that? Also, how physically draining have the high temperatures and humidity been for you and your teammates over the past two matches?

J. Pickford: Honestly, I think we've coped well overall. Our training camp in Miami helped us a lot, allowing us to adapt to various conditions during the preparation phase, so now we can handle any situation. For me, indoor matches are ideal, like the one we had in Dallas earlier, with good conditions and less discomfort. In the past two matches, we've also faced different weather and pitch conditions, including rain. So we're accustomed to dealing with various conditions and we're fully prepared for them. It also shows that we have a very strong squad. The coaching staff and the entire support team have provided us with the best support England could ask for. What's most important for us now is to really show it all on the pitch.

Looking at the penalty shootouts that have already been completed, many players seem to have missed not because their shots were saved, but due to the psychological pressure from the goalkeeper, they've shot wide or missed the target altogether. Is this also part of your penalty shootout training?

J. Pickford: If the opponent misses a penalty, that's certainly beneficial for the goalkeeper. I think every goalkeeper is different. Each has their own approach and preparation process. We have our own methods too. Like Bono's saves last night. Each save is different—he successfully disrupted the opposing player, and such situations do happen. But that's football. Everyone's different.

As the head coach just said, penalty shootouts are very intense. Ultimately, it still comes down to execution and habits developed through continuous training. And that's what we've been preparing for.

Recently, I've been working hard on improving my penalty-saving technique, particularly on my movement during saves and my reactions on the ground. I might have a short session with the goalkeeper coach this evening for targeted practice, then I'll complete my preparation. But overall, this has always been our process. As the head coach said, this system has been in place for many years. We'll continue to follow it. Over the past six to eight years, our record in this regard has also been good.

I'd like to know if you players think about the responsibility on your shoulders. After all, England hasn't won the World Cup for 60 years. As an England player, what would it mean to you if you could win the World Cup?

J. Pickford: It's every player's dream, and it's a goal that everyone strives towards throughout their entire life. Every time I represent England, every time I wear this shirt, I feel immense pride. As an England player, every time I put on this shirt, I'm filled with passion. Of course, winning the World Cup is our dream. But in pursuing that dream, there are many stages we need to go through, step by step. Right now, our first task is to play against the Democratic Republic of Congo tomorrow. That's also our sole focus at the moment. As for winning the World Cup, that's a later goal. What's most important now is to face the DRC, not think about things further ahead.

We need to complete tomorrow's task first, prepare carefully as we're doing now, and then give our all. For me, records like clean sheets are certainly important. But I've always said that football is a team sport. Everyone can see that the whole team has put in a lot of effort. Whether it's Kane up front, or all 11 starting players, or teammates coming off the bench, each of us works hard to help the team achieve a clean sheet. Because we know the attacking power we possess. So clean sheet statistics certainly please me. But I've always believed that it's the result of collective team effort. So I won't take too much credit. As I just said, playing for England means everything. And then, it's about moving forward.

As the tournament progresses from the group stage to the Round of 16 and beyond, if we continue to advance, the competitive pressure will become increasingly intense. As a player, how do you personally handle this mounting pressure? And how does the whole team cope with it?

J. Pickford: I think the team is handling it well. Many players in our squad have extensive experience in major club competitions. Some have won the Champions League, some the FA Cup, the League Cup, various league titles. For me personally, this is my fifth major tournament. So for me, pressure is something to embrace. Of course, everyone is different. Some people might be more nervous. But I think pressure often brings out the best in us. For me, when I face pressure, I always feel I can perform even better. There's always someone who needs to step up in critical moments. And I think that's what the England squad does.

Переведено ИИ.

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