England’s World Cup dreams got absolutely crushed on Wednesday, falling 2-1 to Argentina in a wild semifinal after leading 1-0 late in the second half. Lionel Messi was the absolute destroyer, assisting on two goals in the final minutes to send Argentina to the final against Spain.
Tuchel's 'Wall' Couldn't Stop The Maestro
Coach Thomas Tuchel made some massive lineup and strategy changes to try and protect England’s lead, aiming to build a literal wall in front of the goal. His plan? Go to a back five to close gaps and get stronger in the air. England had scored in the 55th minute via Anthony Gordon, and for a minute, it looked like they might actually hold on. But Argentina, led by Messi, just tore that wall down. Opta stats are brutal and tell the whole story: in the 38 minutes between England's goal and Argentina's eventual winner, Argentina held a whopping 88% of possession. EIGHTY-EIGHT PERCENT! That's not protecting a lead, that's inviting disaster, isn't it? Tuchel even tried some late subs, swapping defender Reece James for Dan Burn and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute. But it was either too little, too late, or just the wrong call. Enzo Fernández scored barely three minutes after those changes, striking a precise shot from outside the box in the 85th minute, set up by Messi. England defenders failed to close him down, and the ball curled past diving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.A Historic Collapse and A Coach's Regret
This isn't just a tough loss, it’s a historic one. Opta confirms this is only the second time this century a team scored first in a World Cup semifinal and then failed to reach the final. The other team? England, back in 2018 against Croatia. Talk about a brutal repeat! Tuchel took the heat, saying, "They won every header. They kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be stronger in the air." He admitted, "Straight after our goal, with no substitutions, we just conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances. So we tried to help. But of course the responsibility is on the coach. And … if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say that it was wrong." England captain Harry Kane felt the pain too. "It’s disappointing to give up the space that we did in those final 20 minutes," Kane said. "It allowed not just (Messi), but the other players to grow into the game and feel more confident and ping balls into dangerous areas. In the end, it was too much for us to stop." Argentina kept pushing, hitting the crossbar and missing another header across the mouth of the goal before Lautaro Martinez sealed it in the second minute of stoppage time. Messi again with the cross, Martinez with the close-range header, and England defenders lost him completely. Martínez himself said it best: "They got tired." Argentina is off to the World Cup final to face Spain. For England, it's a long, hard look in the mirror after missing their shot at the final for the first time since 1966. This one’s gonna sting for a long, long time.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.