Thomas Tuchel wanted England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina judged as football, not fate. He also accepted that his defensive changes after Anthony Gordon's opener were open to criticism, after England lost 1-2 at England vs Argentina.

Tuchel's view of the turnaround

"I love to see these things in a football matter and not through football curses," Tuchel said. That line fit the rest of his response, which was more about decisions and momentum than any historic English baggage.

England led in the 55th minute through Anthony Gordon, but Tuchel said the match became "two completely different matches" after that. He also said: "We're disappointed. We were so close, but we got too passive after we scored and conceded a lot of chances and could not turn the ball possession (only 12% after Gordon's goal for England) around. We were close, but couldn't keep the level up after we scored."

The shape changed quickly too. England started in a 4-2-3-1 before Tuchel moved to a back five, and he explained that call by pointing to Argentina's pressure: "We decided to go a back five because the gaps were far too open. They won every header, they kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be strong in the air."

The criticism Tuchel accepted

Tuchel did not hide behind the idea that the decisions were untouchable. "That's just the nature of the game. As soon as you lose, you get criticised. That's just what it is. You get criticised after. I'm responsible for them. I took them, so I take the criticism," he said.

That leaves the argument in a fairly plain place. Lionel Scaloni said Argentina "smelt blood" when England doubted themselves, while Emiliano Martínez said England were going "backwards and backwards" after taking the lead. Tuchel's version is less dramatic, but also harder to dismiss: England lost control after Gordon's goal, and the tactical response did not restore it.

The wider result is still the same. England's wait for a World Cup final goes back to 1966, when they won it, and this semi-final ended 1-2 to Argentina. The scoreline mattered, but so did the timing, because England had the lead before the game turned.

Tuchel's point was clear enough. This was a defeat to analyse, not a curse to invoke, and the criticism now sits with the decisions he made after the 55th-minute goal.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →