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Argentina were reportedly astonished by Thomas Tuchel’s substitution strategy after having prepared to counter England’s fast wingers in their World Cup semi-final clash.

England had taken the lead through Anthony Gordon’s precise strike in the 55th minute, but Tuchel’s subsequent defensive changes allowed Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina to seize control late in the match. The decision to defend deeper rather than utilise England’s pace in transition proved costly, as Enzo Fernandez levelled the score in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez netted the winner during stoppage time.

Tuchel’s defensive reshuffle following Gordon’s opener

Gordon’s goal gave England a crucial advantage midway through the second half of the tense semi-final. According to reports, Argentina had specifically trained to handle the introduction of Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke, anticipating that their primary weakness lay in defending quick counter-attacks. However, instead of deploying those attacking options, Tuchel opted to strengthen his defence.

Ezri Konsa replaced Gordon in the 72nd minute as England switched to a back five. Ten minutes later, Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly came on for Reece James and Declan Rice. Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney only entered the pitch after Fernandez’s long-range equaliser. Between Gordon’s goal and Martinez’s decisive strike, England controlled just 12 per cent of possession.

Tuchel defends his approach, says passivity was not intended

After the defeat, Tuchel reflected on the shift in momentum. “I haven’t seen the data yet, but I believe right after our goal the momentum completely changed in terms of possession and chances, and it dropped dramatically,” he said. “We became too passive within our structure. My intention with the back five was not to be more passive but to engage quicker with the wingers and avoid opening gaps in the back four.”

He continued, “We encouraged everyone to be more proactive within our setup, but it just didn’t happen. We struggled to find duels, and that’s why we dropped deeper and deeper. It was never the plan, but it unfolded that way.”

Tuchel also admitted that maintaining possession might not be a natural strength for his team, saying, “Ball control is maybe not in our DNA like it is in the Spanish, Argentinian, or Brazilian DNA.”

England players question the cautious approach as Argentina capitalise

Within the England camp, several players reportedly questioned the decision to sit back. Captain Harry Kane stated that simply trying to “hold on” to a narrow lead was inadequate at this level. Centre-back Marc Guehi echoed those sentiments, saying, “We should have kept pushing. It felt like once we scored, the mindset changed to just defend.”

On the Argentine side, reports suggest that the players discussed England’s conservative tactics during their post-match celebrations. Having been warned at half-time about the possible introduction of Saka or Madueke, they were surprised when neither appeared. This prompted Scaloni to take a more aggressive approach, substituting left-back Nicolas Tagliafico for Martinez in the 81st minute and pushing Nico Gonzalez, who had already been introduced, into a more defensive role.

FA continues to back Tuchel despite semi-final disappointment

Despite the nature of England’s exit, the Football Association (FA) continues to support Tuchel, whose contract extends through the 2028 European Championship, which will be hosted in England. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham is reportedly pleased with the German manager’s broader progress and believes he is working to resolve underlying cultural challenges within the team. England will now face France in the third-place play-off, a match neither side was particularly eager to contest, before shifting focus to preparations for the Euros.