ATLANTA — At the final whistle, England players lay scattered across the pitch in shock and disbelief. The team suffered a devastating 2-1 defeat in a match they were on the verge of winning, a game that would have secured their first World Cup final appearance in six decades.

As the reality of the loss set in, Jude Bellingham stood frozen in the stadium’s center, hands on hips, while his teammates either collapsed onto the ground, knelt, or sat back in despair, forced to watch Argentina celebrate a victory that felt almost predestined.

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However, the outcome that sent Argentina and Lionel Messi to another World Cup final was not an act of fate but rather a result of strategy.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel, who had emphasized the importance of brave football throughout the tournament and engaged in mind games with Bellingham in the past week, must take responsibility for the loss.

“It’s not coming home. Instead, it was my tactics that failed when it mattered most,” Tuchel acknowledged.

“I believe that’s the nature of the game,” Tuchel said. “As soon as you lose, you get criticized. It’s just what it is. No one knows what would have happened if we made different decisions, so it makes no sense to engage in that and lose my head.”

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Perhaps the enormity of the moment proved overwhelming for the 52-year-old German coach, who was brought in to manage the national team due to his in-game expertise and ability to hold players accountable. He may have sensed fatigue among his players and sought to conserve energy while clinging to a 1-0 lead. However, by underestimating Argentina’s capability to stage a comeback, he potentially compromised his own team’s chances.

Whatever the reasoning, Tuchel opted to “park the bus” during the game’s final 20 minutes, placing extra defenders deep in front of the goal while almost entirely relinquishing any hope of scoring again or even maintaining ball possession.

Tuchel aimed for a 1-0 victory, and his strategy ended in a disappointing outcome.

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“Argentina played with more risk, more rhythm, and with a sense of having nothing to lose,” Tuchel said. “Suddenly, we played as if we had too much at stake and dropped into a deep block, which was problematic. We struggled to stay active in that block and had difficulty defending crosses while not being physical enough against runners into the box. We just couldn’t regain momentum, and they capitalized on the opportunity.”

His decision seemed puzzling, particularly given his prior insistence that his team needed to be “on the front foot and brave” at this stage of the tournament. Tuchel had suggested taking risks to avoid future regrets.

Did he forget his own advice? Did he panic? Was it due to a buildup of tension within a team that had faced friction in recent days? Or was it just one of those unpredictable moments in sports where a team nearly achieves a monumental victory but fails to execute under pressure?

“The responsibility is on the coach, and if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say it was wrong,” Tuchel added.

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England had every reason to feel exhausted by Wednesday. Their knockout-round journey had taken them from Atlanta to Mexico City, where they faced the challenges of altitude and the imposing atmosphere of the Azteca. They then engaged in an intense, closely contested quarterfinal against Norway in Miami’s sweltering conditions, leading to a matchup with Messi amidst a crowd predominantly supporting Argentina.

This reality highlights the flaws in England’s approach during the game’s final moments. A fatigued team defending near their own goal with Argentina in control of the ball, and Messi lurking for opportunities, is certainly a recipe for disaster.

“We deserved to be ahead, but for one reason or another, we struggled to keep possession and apply pressure, allowing them to build momentum and create more attacks in our final third,” England striker Harry Kane said. “Trying to hold onto a one-goal lead for more than 20 minutes is always a long task.”

As time dragged on, the pressure mounted on the team preserving the 1-0 lead. Passing attempts flew dangerously near the goal, with shots taken from every direction—some narrowly missing, and one striking the post before veering away.

Although England was ahead, it felt hauntingly familiar for a national team that often finds itself in such situations.

Since 1996, England has failed to maintain a one-goal lead in the knockout rounds of the World Cup or European Championships on eight occasions. This trend was a key factor in England’s decision to hire Tuchel, known for his quick success across various clubs but often leaving behind a trail of tension and fractured relationships.

We witnessed this tension rise after the quarterfinal against Norway, when Tuchel criticized his team for “getting lucky” in their victory following a lackluster performance. Similar to renowned coaches like Nick Saban, Tuchel aimed to push his players to avoid complacency.

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However, when Bellingham pushed back—“Maybe he doesn’t know what it’s like to play in those conditions,” he remarked—it added an unnecessary narrative before such a crucial match.

Was that the reason England lost? Certainly not. For most of the game, England outperformed expectations and positioned themselves to secure a win.

Yet it was Tuchel taking an overly cautious approach that sealed their fate in the semifinals. After obtaining the 1-0 lead, England should have accelerated their efforts. Instead, they retreated into a strategic shell, inadvertently inviting the very outcome they sought to prevent.

“The players have a responsibility,” centerback Dan Burn stated. “I believe the difference is that Argentina has the confidence of experience in these situations. I genuinely believed we would succeed, but at this level of football, the margins are incredibly fine. It’s straightforward to say, but it’s true.”

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Tuchel was not inclined to discuss alternative scenarios. He viewed a team that took the 1-0 lead but then began to falter and made the adjustments he believed were necessary to ensure a victory.

Ultimately, it did not succeed, and his tenure will be remembered for this failure.

“I don’t believe in any English curse or the idea that history repeats itself,” Tuchel concluded. “Different coaches, different players, distinct situations, and diverse opponents. I believe in football explanations, which ultimately cost us today because we simply weren’t active enough.”