▲ England national football team manager Thomas Tuchel
"It is easy to point out that it was the wrong choice."
This was the sentiment expressed by England manager Thomas Tuchel after his team collapsed just moments away from reaching their first World Cup final in 60 years.
England suffered a 1-2 comeback defeat against Argentina in the semifinals of the 2026 North and Central America World Cup held at the Atlanta Stadium in the United States today (July 16).
England took the lead in the 55th minute with a goal from Anthony Gordon, but conceded consecutive goals to Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the 92nd minute.
After the match, manager Tuchel said, "It is disappointing. We were very close (to the final), but after scoring, we became too passive and gave away too many chances." He added, "We could not regain possession, and after that, we allowed too many crosses, chances, and shots."
The tactical changes Tuchel made in the second half are expected to face lasting criticism.
As Argentina focused on cross-based attacks, he attempted to respond by increasing the number of defenders inside the penalty area.
Tuchel explained, "Argentina won every aerial duel. They kept sending in crosses," adding, "I switched to a back five to fill the space inside and be stronger in aerial duels."
When asked why the team did not play more aggressively, he replied, "Even so, it is useless if you cannot get the ball. We could not win the ball back." He continued, "Of course, I wanted to aim for an additional goal, but I did not feel that an attacking substitution would have helped."
He further added, "We could neither win nor keep the ball. I do not think it was a structural problem. We did not change anything, but the flow of the game changed completely."
Tuchel's explanation is that despite not making tactical changes after scoring, the England players were completely overwhelmed by Argentina's momentum, and he chose to strengthen the defense because he judged it was no longer possible to turn the tide.
England continues its streak of misfortune in major tournaments.
They were on the verge of reaching the World Cup final for the first time in 60 years since the 1966 tournament held in England, but they failed to hold on for the final five minutes and were eliminated.
Regardless of the reasons, conceding two goals after using defensive substitutions is a painful mistake.
Tuchel said he expects fierce criticism.
He stated, "No problem. After the game, there are always millions of (self-proclaimed) managers who say they know better."
According to sports statistics firm Opta, this is only the second time in the 21st century that a team that scored the opening goal in a World Cup semifinal failed to reach the final.
The previous instance also involved England.
In the 2018 Russia World Cup semifinals, England scored against Croatia just five minutes into the match but conceded a goal in the second half and another in extra time, losing 1-2.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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