England's hopes of ending 60 years of hurt were dashed once again as they suffered a late 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final in Atlanta. The holders came from behind for the second consecutive match, with Lautaro Martinez scoring a stoppage-time header to break English hearts.
Tuchel Makes Tactical Changes
Thomas Tuchel made three changes to the starting lineup, with Reece James and Djed Spence coming into the defence and Morgan Rogers starting on the right wing. Argentina made only one change, with Giuliano Simeone replacing Rodrigo De Paul.
Spicy Start with Few Chances
The opening 15 minutes were stop-start, with Elliot Anderson fouled four times alone. Jude Bellingham and Leandro Paredes clashed in midfield. The first half ended goalless, with no shots on target in the opening 30 minutes—a first in World Cup history since 1966.
Rogers Provides Breakthrough
Morgan Rogers justified Tuchel's faith by setting up Anthony Gordon's opener in the second half. Declan Rice played Rogers into space down the right, and his cross was turned home by Gordon, who had just signed for Barcelona for £69 million. It was England's fourth different goalscorer of the tournament.
Spence's Goal-Saving Tackle
As Argentina pushed for an equaliser, Djed Spence produced a crucial tackle to deny Giuliano Simeone, celebrating as if he had scored. The Tottenham defender has become a cult hero after a tournament that included a mistake against DR Congo but a vital cameo against Norway.
Fernandez Finally Scores
Enzo Fernandez had tried long-range efforts all match, and in the 85th minute, his shot from a Lionel Messi corner beat Jordan Pickford to level the score. Tuchel's defensive substitutions were questioned as England failed to hold on.
Martinez Breaks English Hearts
Lautaro Martinez, who had scored a stoppage-time winner against Egypt in the quarter-finals, repeated the feat. He rose at the back post to head home and send Argentina to the final against Spain. England will face France in the third-place play-off.
