England Only Have Themselves to Blame for World Cup Elimination
England took the lead in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Semi-Final clash against Argentina, but caved into the pressure to lose the match in injury time. Some will say Argentina was lucky, but the Three Lions really only ahve themselves to blame.
Video Transcript
England for the most part were on top in the first half, but late on it was Argentina who were coming into the game more, starting to control more of the possession.
But half time nil-nil, probably fair given everything that was happening.
And Argentina again came on quite strong in the second half at the start, but England broke and broke with intent, and it was a really well-worked move to get the opening goal.
Very well-worked by the likes of Morgan Rogers on the right-hand side of the pitch to cross it in for Anthony Gordon just to tap home.
It was a great run and another great goal.
Gordon for me has been one of the standouts in this squad.
Bellingham and Kane very much rightfully do take the plaudits, but if you had to pick a third player who's been really impressive in this tournament so far, Gordon has to be it.
He's popped up with some really big goals and also with a lot of assists as well.
But from that point, almost like flicking a switch, England just sat back and defended.
Now of course the inclination to sit back and defend your lead when you are one-nil up against the defending world champions, a team that have a lot of quality in their side, a team that know how to win, I understand why you would probably want to do that, but there was still 40 minutes of the game to play, and there was no out ball for England.
There was nobody that was making runs, trying to press Argentina like we were in the opening 55 minutes.
As soon as we went one-nil up, we just sat back and defended, and the substitutions as well from Tuchel, I have to call him out on these.
Argentina went attacking.
They had nothing to lose in the last 10 minutes or so.
They brought on the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Fortagliatelle as someone kept calling him in the pub.
Again, I got to laugh at these things because otherwise I'm gonna cry about the game tonight.
But Argentina went for it.
Yeah, they had nothing to lose.
You can't blame them for doing that, but they still went for it.
They still went more attacking, and it paid off for them in the end as well.
We'll get into that, don't worry.
But England on the other hand, we were going more defensive.
We brought off Rice, which okay, Rice was probably still tired, probably still not 100% after he was ill earlier in the week.
Didn't make the end of the Norway match either, so not a surprise he was taken off.
But you're bringing on Dan Burn.
Again, not against Dan Burn coming on.
People were cheering him.
People were absolutely up in raptures at the guy just coming onto the pitch.
We knew what that meant, that he was gonna head every single ball out of the box, as it was.
Didn't quite end up that way unfortunately.
So when you go five at the back at that point, you're just inviting the pressure, and Argentina were very much pressing the advantage at this point.
They were really going for it.
They hit the post twice I think.
Pickford pulled off some incredible saves in that second half as well, some world-class saves to keep it at one-nil.
Argentina were not knocking on the door, they were battering it down.
They were absolutely going for it.
They had nothing to lose like I said.
Everybody could see what was happening.
Everybody was getting that sinking feeling, and we very much did sink.
Feel like we were drowning at the point when Enzo Fernandez got the equalizer.
It was a really good goal.
It was a really good finish from him.
Outside of the box, it was superbly taken.
Some people were saying that Pickford's starting position wasn't the best for the shot, and I can see why you'd say that, but it was an absolute worldy of a goal from Fernandez.
But he was also in acres of space as well.
He had so much space on the edge of the box.
Again, England just unable to get close, unable to put pressure on the Argentines at this point.
Like I said, they hit the post.
Pickford, he made some incredible saves.
You can't say it wasn't coming.
It was so obvious.
And then again, with all this space there, with all this opportunity there for Argentina, they got another one.
They got another one.
92nd-minute winner for Lautaro Martinez.
Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul absolutely running the game at this point.
Messi by the way, although he didn't score, he was quality as always.
He was always a threat.
39 years of age and he was still arguably the biggest threat on the pitch for Argentina.
Everybody was trying to close him down, trying to stop him.
That man is something else.
He isn't human.
He is not human.
He is not 39 years of age.
An incredible cross into the box.
Martinez with the header, he was brought on to do that, and do that he did
