England was five minutes away from their first men's World Cup final since 1966 when Argentina pulled the rug out from under them, delivering what many are calling the most painful defeat in over 60 years. Head coach Thomas Tuchel had immortality in his hands after Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute goal gave England the lead in Atlanta Stadium. But a catastrophic series of decisions by Tuchel initiated wave after wave of Argentina attacks, orchestrated by none other than Lionel Messi, and cost England everything.
Tuchel's "Quick-Fix" Goes Sideways
The Football Association hired Tuchel after Euro 2024 as a "quick-fix" to deliver the 2026 World Cup, to put "a second star on the shirt." He was supposed to be the guy who won matches his predecessor, Sir Gareth Southgate, couldn't. Southgate faced criticism for caution, losing two Euros finals and a 2018 World Cup semi-final. The idea was Tuchel would drive England over the line. But when the pressure was at its peak in a World Cup semi-final, Tuchel pulled off a tactical retreat and loss that's already earning him massive criticism. A semi-final exit, in the harshest light, is a failure for his mission. This guy was supposed to end the hard-luck stories, right? Well, here we are again.The Collapse No One Saw Coming So Brutally
Once Gordon put England ahead, Tuchel decided on a rearguard action. It worked in their knockout wins against Mexico and Norway. But against Messi's Argentina? Not a chance. Tuchel replaced goalscorer Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa with just 18 minutes left, switching to a back five. He then brought Nico O'Reilly and Dan Burn on for Declan Rice and Reece James. It was clear almost instantly he called it badly. It did nothing but invite Argentine pressure. Enzo Fernandez buried a goal in the 85th minute, then Lautaro Martinez delivered the gut punch with an injury-time header. England had only 12% possession between taking the lead and Martinez's winning goal nearly 40 minutes later. You read that right: 12 percent. That brutal stat screams how Tuchel engineered England's defeat by his own hand. A stunned football nation wakes up to another desperate near-miss. Tuchel, who was supposed to be different, effectively repeated everything that brought Southgate so much criticism. He's still expected to lead the team into Euro 2028, but after this kind of collapse on the biggest stage, the road ahead for England is looking pretty rough.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.