England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina followed a familiar pattern: taking an early lead, then retreating and paying the price.
Lionel Messi's Argentina punished a passive England side that seemed afraid to win.
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Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute, but instead of pushing for a second, the team dropped deep.
They offered no control, completed few passes, and relied on desperate defending for over 30 minutes.
The inevitable equalizer came from Enzo Fernández, who scored from long range with no pressure.
Tuchel's Tactical Choices Under Fire
Thomas Tuchel, brought in as the master tactician, made changes that would have drawn heavy criticism for his predecessors.
After taking the lead, he switched to a back five, replaced attacker Gordon with defender Ezri Konsa, and made a series of defensive substitutions.
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Meanwhile, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni showed intent by bringing on attackers like Nicolás González and Lautaro Martínez, who headed the winner.
England's midfield was outclassed by Alexis Mac Allister and Fernández.
Harry Kane was invisible, Jude Bellingham barely had a sniff, and the team mustered just 12% possession between going 1-0 up and falling 2-1 behind.
Tuchel left attacking options like Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Eberechi Eze on the bench, and did not use Kobbie Mainoo.
The defeat echoed past failures under Sven-Göran Eriksson and Gareth Southgate, who were criticized for being too passive after scoring early against top sides.
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Tuchel's England lacked identity and produced horrible spells in every game of the tournament. This time, the tactical retreat cost them a place in the final.
