England's lead undone by Argentina's late masterclass in World Cup semi-final

England's hopes of reaching the World Cup final were dashed by a late Argentine surge, as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat after failing to protect a second-half lead. The team paid a heavy price for adopting a passive approach after taking the lead, a strategy that has proven costly for several teams in this tournament.

Anthony Gordon put England ahead 10 minutes into the second half, seemingly setting them on course for a final appearance. However, Argentina, known for their dramatic comebacks, mounted a furious fightback. This victory mirrored their earlier round of 16 win where they overturned a 2-0 deficit against Egypt with just 11 minutes remaining.

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He (Tuchel) played his cards very early in the hope he’d hang on. And it’s backfired. But Argentina are world champions for a reason because it’s not only about ability, but know-how and attitude when things are going against you.

Despite largely containing Lionel Messi for the first hour, England's defense eventually buckled under sustained pressure. Messi's influence grew as he began delivering dangerous crosses, leading to close calls and eventually the equalizer. Enzo Fernandez scored from outside the area in the 85th minute, exploiting a lapse in concentration from Jude Bellingham.

The decisive blow came in the ninth minute of stoppage time when Messi again provided a crucial assist, this time for Lautaro Martinez's header. England's possession dropped significantly in the final 38 minutes of the match, highlighting their inability to regain control after conceding. Manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged that his team became too passive, a decision that ultimately backfired against a resilient Argentine side.

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I had no feeling that an offensive substitution would help. Instead, we stayed in our 4-4-2 but became passive, conceding a lot of chances and couldn’t turn the ball possession in our favour.