ATLANTA — England’s decision to revert to a defensive setup in the World Cup semifinal coincided with Argentina overturning a deficit to win 2-1, leaving manager Thomas Tuchel exposed to immediate criticism from former players and pundits.
Former striker Wayne Rooney said the alterations failed to help the side and called the outcome devastating, while ex-defender Micah Richards judged the tactical approach as incorrect. Ten days earlier Tuchel had been praised after England held out at the Azteca with a back five and 10 men to beat Mexico 3-2 in the quarterfinals.
Against Argentina the same defensive switch allowed Lionel Messi more time on the flank and created space for Enzo Fernández to level the match. Seven minutes later Lautaro Martínez exploited a gap between two English defenders to nod home the winner from a Messi cross, a move Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni described as capitalizing on an obvious opening.
Tuchel accepted responsibility for the result and cautioned against dwelling on hypothetical alternatives, saying that criticism is part of losing. He had repeatedly emphasized the squad’s “brotherhood” and inner belief during the tournament, citing examples where late goals had secured narrow wins — notably Harry Kane’s two late strikes to avoid an upset against Congo DR.
England’s run had been affected by fatigue, form and injuries. Right-back issues emerged after Reece James felt a hamstring problem versus Ghana. Tuchel replaced the injured Tino Livramento with Trevoh Chalobah on the eve of the tournament and relied on Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Djed Spence as makeshift alternatives; Quansah was later injured against Panama and suspended following a red card in the Mexico match.
Wing selections also drew scrutiny. Anthony Gordon’s form fluctuated through the tournament, Morgan Rogers started on the right against Argentina after Noni Madueke failed to make an impact, and Bukayo Saka did not reach his usual levels. Tuchel’s decisions yielded positives — Dan Burn’s inclusion was praised, Spence justified his place, and Jordan Henderson played a key role in morale even after breaking his arm celebrating the Mexico victory — but the decisive statistics from the Argentina game proved damaging to England’s World Cup ambitions.
