England’s progress wasn’t entirely smooth sailing prior to the semi-final, but they had shown moments of excellence and gritty resolve.
They beat Croatia and Panama in the groups, either side of a goalless draw against Ghana, then rallied late on against DR Congo, dug deep against Mexico, and needed extra time to get past Norway in the knockouts.
Targeting a first World Cup final in 60 years, Thomas Tuchel’s side were perfectly poised an hour into their fiery semi-final against Argentina, with Anthony Gordon’s second-half finish putting them ahead.
But from there, the manager’s tactics backfired spectacularly. Defensive changes invited wave upon wave of Argentinian attack, and eventually the pressure told: Enzo Fernandez levelled with an effort from distance before Lautaro Martinez headed the reigning champions in front, both assisted by Lionel Messi.
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