Ben White's Absurd Night at England Auditions

LONDON, FRIDAY - The absurd situation involving England national team defender Ben White has been ongoing since the squad announcement, culminating on the field. White became both a hero and an antagonist in his first appearance for "The Three Lions" since March 2022.

White has recently become the focus of public attention in England. The Arsenal player was called up by England coach Thomas Tuchel to replace injured defender Jarell Quansah. Many believe that Real Madrid defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is more deserving of that position.

In addition to the quality issue, White's relationship with the national team is also not good. He had previously declined a call-up to the national team during Gareth Southgate's tenure as coach. White has become a figure not expected to participate when England faces Uruguay in a friendly match at Wembley Stadium, London, on Saturday (28/3/2026) early morning WIB.

It was evident that the home supporters collectively expressed a minor tone as the player entered from the bench in the 69th minute. White replaced Fikayo Tomori to have the opportunity to play for the national team again after being absent for the past four years.

Just 12 minutes later, White became the reason for the English public to cheer. He scored the opening goal through a corner kick scheme. This was the first goal for the 28-year-old defender at the national team level. The negative perceptions of fans towards him vanished instantly.

Victory was within England's reach. They maintained their 1-0 lead until injury time, when White fouled Uruguayan striker Federico Vinas. Visiting midfielder Federico Valverde equalized from the penalty spot.

"That was a ridiculous penalty decision, too light to be a penalty," said England captain Harry Maguire. "If I were in that position, I would have made the same block. Ben was just trying to block the shot. After all, the opposing player kicked the ball far over the crossbar," he continued.

White became the main actor in the absurd night that ended with a 1-1 draw. It is truly unfortunate that he failed to conclude the match as the team's hero solely due to the decision of the video assistant referee (VAR). Fortunately, Tuchel was quite satisfied with his brief performance at Wembley.

Through White's performance, the reason for the coach's decision not to select Alexander-Arnold was revealed. Tuchel apparently needed a profile like Quansah, who can play both in the center and on the right wing. Meanwhile, White was deployed as a center-back, although he almost always played on the wing while with the club.

Tuchel hopes that the English public will appreciate his decision and respect White. "I hope that (White's) performance changes many people's views. Incidents like this (negative reactions from supporters) have happened several times to players, and it is very disappointing because it does not help anyone," he stated.

White had actually been included in the England squad for the 2022 Qatar World Cup before ultimately being sent home. He has not rejoined the national team since that moment. The player is rumored to have had a dispute with the England assistant coach during the Southgate era, namely Steve Holland.

Despite White's absurd night, Tuchel actually used the friendly to test his reserve players. He fielded all of his starters outside of the usual England starting lineup, from goalkeeper James Trafford to midfielder James Garner to striker Dominic Solanke.

The coach also included eight players from the bench in the second half. All of these players have rarely been given opportunities recently, including midfielder Cole Palmer and Kobbie Mainoo. Meanwhile, key players such as Declan Rice and Harry Kane were not fielded in the first match.

Tuchel has the freedom to experiment as he called up 35 players simultaneously for this international break. Although he failed to secure a victory, he is not at all disappointed with the players. This is because they were able to perform more dangerously compared to Uruguay, which fielded nearly its best squad.

"The Three Lions" forced the opposing goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to make four saves. The execution of the home team's set-piece schemes was always threatening. Meanwhile, the team coached by Marcelo Bielsa only managed to create one crucial opportunity throughout the match, and that was from the penalty spot.

"I am truly satisfied with our performance. We worked hard and overall we are a better team. Of course, I need to review it more thoroughly. We know Uruguay is a tough opponent. Marcelo informed me a few months ago that he would come with his best team," said Tuchel. (AP/REUTERS)