The semi-final scoreline will scream that England were 1-0 up till the 84th minute. Psychologically, however, they had retreated into ironclad shells much earlier. In the face of Argentina’s ruthlessness, England’s highs proved to be too good to be true. But at least for the first 54 minutes, they had played the game they promised themselves they would. They pressed hard, challenged every second ball, denied Lionel Messi rhythm and refused to be intimidated by the world champions. There was no inferiority complex.
Everything changed, though, with Anthony Gordon’s goal. Which was perplexing to understand because Argentina looked like the more emotional side till then. The game was scrappy, with too many refereeing interventions, and the ball literally going nowhere. Up till then, England looked physically stronger, tactically disciplined and emotionally invested in imposing themselves on Argentina rather than merely surviving them.
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But what should have emboldened England somehow made them nervous and panicked. The transformation was astonishing. The pressing disappeared almost immediately. England stopped contesting possession high up the pitch and instead retreated towards Jordan Pickford’s penalty area. Every substitution carried the same message—protect the lead, defend the box, survive the remaining minutes.
It was impossible not to think back to Wembley in July 2021. Against Italy in the European Championship final, Gareth Southgate watched Luke Shaw score inside two minutes before instinctively retreating into an increasingly passive shape. England stopped playing football and started protecting a scoreline. Italy began to monopolise possession, territory and eventually the trophy. That defeat became the defining criticism of Southgate’s England. They repeatedly confused defending deeper with defending better, the kind of conservatism Tuchel was bent on getting rid of when he signed up for the job.
“After the goal, whether it was them putting more men forward or us being able to match them man for man, it just was wave after wave, and we were just trying to hold on, put the blocks in,” Harry Kane told the BBC immediately after the match. “But in the end it wasn’t enough.”
Hanging on for dear life isn’t always the smartest strategy. Not in the World Cup, and definitely not in the semi-final against a side like Argentina that has the knack of scoring late goals. But since England had somehow derived a degree of success using that strategy against Norway, and to a greater extent against Mexico, Tuchel can’t be blamed for trying to take it to another level. Where he probably erred was by removing Anthony Gordon.
Even if Gordon had tired, his pace alone was forcing Argentina to defend honestly. Every counter-attack represented a threat, every recovery run demanded caution. Once he departed, England lost their only genuine outlet. That alone allowed Argentina’s defenders to stand 15 yards higher. That way, Argentina’s midfield could flood forward as England looked increasingly incapable of punishing them in transition. It was an open invitation to attack.
Also decisive was the mentality. England had spent more than 30 minutes trying not to lose. Argentina spent six minutes trying to win. That difference in outlook decided the match. As the match shifted deep into England’s half, they brought on more defenders but looked even more vulnerable. Sensing that anxiety, Argentina injected greater conviction in their consequent raids. Djed Spence’s magnificent recovery tackle to deny Giuliano Simeone delayed the inevitable. Jordan Pickford then produced an outstanding save from Nicolás González before Alexis Mac Allister headed against the post. These weren’t just isolated moments but warnings. And England ignored every one of them.
By the time Enzo Fernández equalised with a magnificent swerving strike in the 85th minute, it almost felt overdue. Messi’s influence had grown with every passing minute because England had voluntarily conceded the territory from which he operates the best. Having struggled to dictate proceedings for much of the evening, he suddenly had all the time in the world. Psychologically shut out of the match, England were just making up the numbers, making no attempt to regain the initiative or reclaim possession higher up the field.
When Mac Allister struck the post again moments later, Messi reacted first, collected the rebound and delivered an exquisite cross for Lautaro Martínez to head home in added time. What was almost a free header for Argentina basically encapsulated England’s psychological decay, which had taken half an hour to develop. While Argentina never abandoned their belief, England played as though the final whistle was something to be endured rather than reached. That attitude couldn’t have gone unpunished in a game as big as this.
