From the moment Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 55th minute until Lautaro Martinez headed in the winning goal for a 2-1 comeback, England only maintained 12% possession. The main reason was that Thomas Tuchel's squad retreated deep, "parking the bus" to protect their lead, instead of continuing to press or attempting to keep possession. They completely ceded control of the game to Argentina.

"We are disappointed because we were very close to victory. But after scoring, the team became too passive and allowed the opponent to create too many chances", Tuchel told BBC. "We could not regain possession, facing too many crosses, shots, and opportunities. Nevertheless, at this moment, I have no regrets."

Head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts during England's 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-final at Atlanta, US on 15/7. *AP*.

England's "parking the bus" tactic had previously worked when they played with 10 men in their 3-2 round of 16 victory over Mexico. This time, however, Tuchel's plan failed because Argentina possessed talents like Lionel Messi, Enzo Fernandez, and Lautaro Martinez.

The reigning champions persistently pressed and were rewarded with Enzo Fernandez's long-range equalizer in the 85th minute. In the second minute of added time, Lionel Messi delivered a cross from the right wing for Lautaro Martinez to head in the winning goal, securing a 2-1 victory and sending Argentina to the final against Spain.

Nevertheless, Tuchel defended his players' performance. He stated that England had endured a very challenging journey at the World Cup 2026, from constant travel and playing at high altitudes in harsh weather, to matches where they had to play with fewer men.

"This was probably our best game under these circumstances", he emphasized. "The whole team gave their all and deserved to lead 1-0. We just could not get over the finish line. This is not the time to evaluate the entire tournament. We were eliminated because we lost a decisive match."

Jude Bellingham is consoled by Marc Guehi and Jordan Henderson after England's 2-1 loss to Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-final at Atlanta on 15/7. *AP*.

Tuchel's most controversial decision was replacing goal-scorer Gordon with center-back Ezri Konsa in the 72nd minute, while also switching to a three center-back system. In the 82nd minute, he further brought on Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly for Declan Rice and Reece James. At one point, England deployed up to six defenders to protect their lead.

The 52-year-old head coach explained that this was a reaction to Argentina's increasing pressure, not an initial negative defensive strategy. "They won almost every aerial duel and constantly delivered crosses", he said. "Therefore, we switched to a five-man defense to close gaps and be stronger in aerial situations. We were just trying to help the players."

The German head coach also took full responsibility for the ineffective adjustments. "Of course, the responsibility lies with the head coach. If things do not go as desired, it is easy to say it was the wrong decision", he stated.

Lautaro Martinez heads in the winning goal, securing a 2-1 victory for Argentina in the World Cup 2026 semi-final against England at Atlanta on 15/7. *AP*.

Nevertheless, Tuchel denied the view that England failed due to a change in tactical system. He explained that England played in a 4-4-2 formation for most of the match. The issue was not the team's structure. They simply became increasingly passive, lost duels, and could not retain possession, which completely changed the game.

Striker Harry Kane also suggested England lacked ambition after taking the lead. "We played well for most of the game", the 33-year-old captain said. "But after going up 1-0, the whole team seemed only to want to defend the score. At this level, that is not enough."

Tuchel's explanation failed to convince many former England players. Commenting on BBC Radio 5 Live, former striker Chris Sutton called it a "coaching disaster". "They cannot defend for 30 minutes against an opponent like Argentina. All responsibility lies with the head coach. He was the one who made the negative changes", Sutton stated.

Former goalkeeper Joe Hart also linked this defeat to instances where England surrendered their advantage under Gareth Southgate. "Southgate was heavily criticized for dropping the team deep after taking the lead in big matches", the former England goalkeeper remarked. "I do not see anything changing. When Tuchel made changes too early, it was as if he no longer believed his team could land more blows against Argentina."

Former defender Micah Richards suggested that Tuchel was appointed to help England overcome hurdles in major tournaments but repeated the same familiar mistakes. "We all thought he was tactically wrong. Instead of bringing on more wingers to maintain pressure, England switched to a five-man defense and completely lost control of the game", Richards said.

In their 7 most recent encounters against top 10 teams in the World Cup knockout rounds, England have consistently been eliminated. They will play the third-place match against France at 4h on sunday 19/7, Hanoi time.

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Hoang An (according to Independent)