England Had the World Cup Right Where They Wanted It. Then They Gave It Back.

ATLANTA — For about 15 minutes, Jordan Pickford looked like Gordon Banks. Djed Spence delivered a tackle that would’ve made Bobby Moore proud. And Anthony Gordon had the ball in the back of the net like it was 1966 all over again.

Then Thomas Tuchel did what Thomas Tuchel does. He started making changes to protect a 1-0 lead. And by the time he was done, Lionel Messi had turned what looked like England’s biggest win in decades into another footnote in the long, sad history of English football heartbreak.

Lautaro Martinez headed home Messi’s cross in the 78th minute. The Argentina subs sprinted to the corner flag. And just like that, England’s World Cup dream was over. Sixty years since Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore and that glorious day at Wembley. Still no final. Still no trophy. Still the same old story.

The blueprint that backfired

Tuchel decided early that his team couldn’t keep the ball against Argentina. So he didn’t bother asking them to try. England went to a back five. Then basically a back six, with Nico O’Reilly in a midfield that existed mostly on paper. The plan was to absorb pressure and hit on the break. For a while, it worked.

But England stopped running at Argentina’s defenders. Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero had been booked early for pulling back Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham. That was the invitation. England ignored it. They retreated. They invited pressure. And Argentina, a team that scores late goals for a living, accepted the offer.

Alexis Mac Allister hit the woodwork twice. Enzo Fernandez rifled in the equalizer. And Messi, who looked like his World Cup was ending with a whimper, suddenly found space he had no business getting. Two assists. Game over.

The subs that didn’t work

Gordon came off for Ezri Konsa with 27 minutes left. That included stoppage time. England lost their only real threat up front. Then Dan Burn came on, maybe because Tuchel thought a 6-foot-7 center back could somehow neutralize Messi. He couldn’t. Marcus Rashford didn’t get on until the 95th minute. Bukayo Saka never left the bench.

Kobbie Mainoo, a midfielder who can actually pass the ball, sat through the entire tournament without playing. Adam Wharton didn’t even make the squad. Cole Palmer stayed home too.

Gareth Southgate used to catch hell for his game management. But even he figured out how to close games by Euro 2024, making attacking subs that actually worked. Tuchel did the opposite. He shrank. And England paid for it.

Argentina knew what was coming

Lionel Scaloni admitted after the match that his team had studied England’s approach against Mexico and Norway. Sit back. Defend. Hope for the best. Argentina knew exactly what they’d face. And they took it apart in the final quarter of the game.

This wasn’t like 2018 against Croatia or 2021 against Italy, where England couldn’t hold the ball. Tuchel’s team didn’t even try. They chose to hand Argentina control of a World Cup semifinal. In Atlanta. With a lead. And they lost.

It might take another 60 years to get this close again. Or it might not. But one thing is certain: England had Argentina on the ropes, and they let them off the hook. Again.