England blamed for defensive approach as Argentina beat them 2-1 in World Cup semi-final

Lionel Scaloni guided Argentina into another World Cup final (Picture: Getty) Lionel Scaloni says even he and his Argentina players could tell England were ‘doubting themselves’ during their World Cup semi-final defeat. England’s bid to end 60 years of hurt came up short as Thomas Tuchel’s side were beaten 2-1 by defending champions Argentina. After a cagey first-half of little chances, England took the lead on 55 minutes through Anthony Gordon, who turned home Morgan Rogers’ superb cross from the back post. Tuchel went ultra defensive soon after and England’s passiveness allowed Argentina to take control of the ball and launch wave after wave of attacks. Get exclusive analysis of England v Argentina Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. The World Cup holders twice hit the post before finally scoring a deserved equaliser through Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, who beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from the edge of the box. Tuchel’s defensive changes meant England were clinging on for dear life just to get to extra-time but Lautaro Martinez sent Argentina into the final with an injury-time winner. Argentina will face Spain in Sunday’s final as they bid to become just the third team to win back-to-back World Cups. Argentina ended England’s World Cup run (Picture: Getty) Scaloni described his team’s comeback win as ‘so impressive’ and admitted he felt England ‘doubting themselves’ towards the end of the game. ‘We were under a bit of pressure, but the opponent doubted themselves,’ Scaloni said in his post-match press conference. ‘We all felt it, we smelt blood and went for it. ‘There was a vacuum inside [England’s] goal. The ball went in after hitting the post twice. After England scored we showed a lot about our football. It’s more than tactics and playing pretty football. Thomas Tuchel after England’s World Cup exit (Picture: Getty) Asked how it felt to guide Argentina into another World Cup final, Scaloni added: ‘I’m lost for words. ‘A great happiness for our country and our people. And another great happiness for this group who never stop surprising me and never know when they are beaten. ‘I can tell them that we are going to try to win, we’re going to leave it all out there, but the truth is that to do this is very difficult. It’s very difficult for people to understand what our players have given. It is so impressive. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘We are unique. It’s not arrogance, it is all heart. Today so many people arrived here to support us and for that I am truly grateful – they helped us to victory. ‘This shirt merits us giving absolutely everything possible until the very end. To not spare anything at all.’ Emiliano Martinez, who plays his club football for Premier League side Aston Villa, was critical of England’s decision to go ‘backwards and backwards’ after taking the lead. ‘We felt it. We felt them going backwards and backwards rather than going forward,’ the goalkeeper said. ‘Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward anyway. You can’t change the gameplan. I think they did it and they put extra defenders.’ On facing European champions Spain in the final, Martinez added: ‘It’s special. It’s special to win it. It’s special for my country, family and team-mates. ‘To be in back-to-back World Cup finals, it means whatever we have done is in the right path. I am so proud of everyone, especially my family.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Thomas Tuchel during England’s World Cup exit (Picture: Getty) The FA are facing calls to sack Thomas Tuchel after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.Tuchel was hired by the FA to take England to the next level after several agonising near-misses under his predecessor Sir Gareth Southgate.England reached back-to-back European Championship finals under Southgate, the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018 and the quarter-finals four years ago in Qatar.Spirited knockout wins over Mexico and Norway suggested England could be on the verge of history at this World Cup but it was the same old story for the Three Lions in their semi-final against Argentina. Get exclusive analysis of England v Argentina Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Tuchel’s side took the lead through Anthony Gordon’s second-half goal but proceeded to retreat, which in fairness had worked in the victories over Mexico and Norway.But Tuchel has been widely criticised for going defensive too early and not taking into account the attacking quality of Argentina, led by superstar Lionel Messi.Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez headed home an injury-time winner to send Argentina through to the World Cup final. Harry Kane after England’s defeat to Argentina (Picture: Getty) Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara accused Tuchel of ‘bottling it’ against Argentina and said the German was to blame for England’s World Cup exit.Tuchel signed a contract extension with England back in February to stay in the job until the end of Euro 2028, but O’Hara believes he should be sacked immediately.‘Those goals were coming, they were coming for 15 minutes after we scored,’ he told talkSPORT. ‘You can’t play like that, you cannot play like that against Argentina. Argentina stunned England with a late comeback (Picture: Getty) ‘It’s a terrible, terrible decision from Thomas Tuchel. We retreated way too early, we could have had Rashford or Saka, we had so much more to give in the game but we retreated.‘This is what Thomas Tuchel was brought in for and now we’re out. It’s a sackable offence, it’s shocking from Tuchel. He should be embarrassed.‘Sack him, sack him, sack him – sack him now! He’s absolutely bottled it. We’re out of the World Cup because of Thomas Tuchel.’ Next England manager odds Pep Guardiola 11/4  Eddie Howe 5/1  Lee Carsley 6/1  Mauricio Pochettino 8/1  Frank Lampard 14/1  Graham Potter 16/1  Carlo Ancelotti 16/1  Kieran McKenna 20/1  Steven Gerrard 20/1  Unai Emery 25/1 (Odds courtesy of BetVictor) If the FA do decide to sack Tuchel, legendary former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the favourite with the bookmakers to be the next England manager.Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, who was heavily linked with the job before Tuchel’s appointment, is second-favourite ahead of former interim boss Lee Carsley.Speaking after England’s heartbreaking World Cup exit, Tuchel said: ‘We’re disappointed, we were so close but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘We could not turn the ball possession around and then conceded so many crosses, chances and shots. We were close but couldn’t keep the level up after we scored.’Ex-England striker Chris Sutton also criticised Tuchel after England were knocked out of the World Cup by defending champions Argentina.‘There certainly needs to be questions asked about Thomas Tuchel,’ he told BBC Radio 5 Live. ‘Looking at the game and the way the game turned that was down to his coaching.‘He was so super negative when he should’ve been positive. He could’ve been more positive with his substitutions.‘You had Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford on the bench. And why not take Harry Kane off when he was looking like a passenger? He’s got a lot of questions to answer.’Argentina will face Spain in Sunday’s World Cup final after the European champions beat tournament favourites France.Spain are bidding to win their second World Cup after lifting the trophy in 2010, while Argentina have three wins, most recently in 2022.For more stories like this, check our sport page.Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

England captain Harry Kane after the World Cup exit (Picture: Getty) Spain legend Iker Casillas branded England ‘cowardly’ after they were knocked out of the World Cup in the semi-finals by Argentina. Thomas Tuchel’s side were aiming to reach a first World Cup final since 1966 and were on top when Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock shortly after half-time. But the Three Lions decided to sit back after that in the hope of seeing out a narrow win, allowing Argentina to launch wave after wave of attack. Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez scored an injury-time winner to send Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, into another final. Get exclusive analysis of England v Argentina Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Tuchel is set to face huge scrutiny over his in-game management, with England’s approach not dissimilar to ones often seen under former boss Sir Gareth Southgate. Legendary goalkeeper Casillas, who won the World Cup with Spain in 2010, believes England only have themselves to blame after their ‘cowardly approach’ against Argentine. ‘England score the goal and then sit back – cowardly approach,’ the former Real Madrid star posted on X. Argentina booked their place in the World Cup final (Picture: Getty) Spain and Real Madrid legend Iker Casillas (Picture: Getty) ‘They haven’t left their own box and have allowed Argentina to come forward more. The logical outcome happens. ‘England lost the match all by themselves with that approach. They let Argentina do whatever they wanted. That can’t happen. The final will be incredible.’ More to follow… Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Thomas Tuchel’s side are out of the World Cup (Picture: Getty) Thomas Tuchel sought to defend his raft of negative substitutions after Argentina came from behind to knock England out of the World Cup. The Three Lions went toe-to-toe with Argentina in what was a cagey semi-final first half before Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock after the break when he tapped home Morgan Rogers’ cross at the far past. But despite there being 35 minutes of normal time still left on the clock, England rapidly went into their shell and sought to dig for a narrow win to progress to Sunday’s semi-final. Argentina only grew in confidence after the second half hydration break, making a slew of attacking changes as Tuchel instead opted to bring Gordon off for Ezri Konsa and move to a back-five. Get exclusive analysis of England v Argentina Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. Ten minutes later, Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly were brought on to try and get the Three Lions after the line, but Argentina’s pressure eventually told. Enzo Fernandez’s levelled the game with a superb long-range strike before Lautaro Martinez headed home in added time to seal a dramatic 2-1 victory for te defending champions. England had just 12 per cent possession betwee Gordon’s goal and Martinez’s dramatic winner, with Wayne Rooney suggesting that Tuchel’s decisions ‘cost England the game’. England conceded two late goals to lose the semi-final (Picture: Getty) Previous England manager Gareth Southgate faced similar criticism after defeats to Croatia in the 2018 World Cup and Italy in the final of Euro 2020, and, like his predecessor, Tuchel insisted he had no regrets about his substitutions during the game. ‘We decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open,’ Tuchel told BBC Sport post-match. ‘They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be stronger in the air. ‘Straight after our goal with no substitution, we just conceded way too many crosses and chances. We tried to help, but of course the responsibility is on the coach; if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say it was wrong.’ Argentina are through to Sunday’s final (Picture: Getty) Asked if England should have instead pushed for a second goal, he responded: ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t help if you don’t have the ball. Of course we wanted to go for the second goal, but I didn’t have the feeling that an offensive substitution would help.  ‘We stayed in our 4-4-2, but became more and more passive. We couldn’t win any balls, couldn’t keep the ball. So I think it was not a structural problem. We changed nothing after a goal, but the match changed completely.’ He continued: ‘You can discuss this with a million coaches. I have to make a decision on the pitch. That’s how I analysed the match and I took the responsibility. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Tuchel defended his substitutions (Picture: Getty) ‘The team gave everything and we were very, very close. I think we deserved to be up 1-0. We played one of our better matches, maybe the best match in the circumstances. The team was top, but we couldn’t bring it over the line.’ Not everyone was willing to be so diplomatic about the outcome, though, with former England striker Chris Sutton brandishing Tuchel’s decisions as a ‘coaching catastrophe’. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: ‘That was a coaching catastrophe from Thomas Tuchel. The fact that England get themselves in front and then basically hand Argentina the initiative. Defending deep and another defender on, it’s quite a simple game football; you have to get up the pitch. ‘You can’t expect to defend for 30 minutes against the quality Argentina had. It’s all on the coach where I’m concerned. He made the changes. He was negative, so the question which I’m going to ask is how can you trust Thomas Tuchel to take this team forward? ‘I don’t care what anyone says, England have had a generous run in this competition and they have not played well in one 90 minutes. ‘A World Cup semi-final, there’s a big opportunity to get over the line against an average Argentina side and they didn’t look average in the last 30 minutes, far from it, but I think England helped them with that. I think that was a coaching disaster.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Tuchel’s late changes backfired (Picture: FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) Wayne Rooney has slammed Thomas Tuchel’s substitutions in their World Cup semi-final defeat against Argentina, insisting they caused the team to ‘lose belief.’ The Three Lions were on the cusp of reaching their first World Cup final in 60 years thanks to Anthony Gordon’s 55th minute strike in Atlanta. But two late goals from Argentina saw them fall to a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat with Lionel Messi and co. heading back to the final to defend their crown. Desperate to hold onto the lead, Tuchel made changes with Ezri Konsa replacing goal scorer Gordon after 72 minutes. Declan Rice followed 10 minutes later, replaced by Nico O’Reilly with Reece James also coming off for Dan Burn. Get exclusive analysis of England v Argentina Make sense of the drama with Metro's free daily newsletter. Sign up now. While England’s run to the final was helped by some outstanding rearguard displays against Mexico and Norway, the changes invited pressure from Argentina with no outlet further up the pitch to ease it. Enzo Fernandez equalised with a wonderful strike from range before Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in injury time. Former England captain Rooney was critical of Tuchel’s changes, telling BBC1: ‘If you’re an attacking player on that pitch and you go 1-0 up, and you see the changes that the manager is making, you’re losing belief. ‘And you’re thinking there’s only so many times we are going to get away with it. The changes we made didn’t help us.’ He added: ‘It’s a panic, a real panic, you can’t go a goal up and then surrender the ball, surrender any opportunity to try to get the second goal, that’s what you want to do, you want to be on the front foot, the pressure is on Argentina to get back in the game, if you go and put pressure on the ball, put tackles in, make runs in behind, they’ll feel it. More heartbreak for England (Picture:Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) ‘If you let players with that quality have the ball around your penalty box, sooner or later they’re going to score.’ Joe Hart meanwhile suggested Tuchel’s predecessor Gareth Southgate would have been met with fierce criticism for making the same decisions, believing the England boss realised his side ‘could no longer land any punches’ on Argentina. ‘I think Gareth Southgate will be at home watching this game, he took a lot of criticism when it came to the big moments with England,’ Hart said. Argentina are back in the final to defend their crown (Picture: 2026 Getty Images) ‘They had the lead and when they were in big games about shutting up shop, but I don’t see anything’s changed in that big moment out there. ‘Thomas Tuchel, for as much praise as we’ve given him, for him to change it as soon as he did, I think he realised, that’s him saying that he didn’t believe in his team, they didn’t think they could land any more punches on Argentina.’ Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source