England’s hopes of lifting a first World Cup in 60 years are over having lost 2-1 to Argentina in heart-breaking fashion.
The Three Lions looked to be heading into their first final since 1966 after Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 55th minute.
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A swift counter-attack saw captain Harry Kane feed Morgan Rogers down the right flank.
And the Aston Villa star bent it a sumptuous low cross, with Gordon running in from the back post to guide a half-volley home into the bottom corner.
But as soon as the ball hit the back of the net, England decided to shut up shop in their attempt to see out the semi-final.
It was a decision that has infuriated legendary eSPORTY broadcaster Adrian Durham, with England ultimately paying the ultimate price.
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It’s not coming home
The warning signs of a late equaliser were there, with Jordan Pickford having to be on his A-game to deny Nicolas Gonzalez from heading in an equaliser just before the second hydration break.
Alexis Mac Allister then thought he had hauled the holders level after his header smacked off the post after getting on the end of Rodrigo De Paul’s delivery.
But Argentina finally got themselves on level terms through Enzo Fernandez’s stunning strike from range in the 85th minute.
Left alone outside the box from a corner, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez flashed the ball past Pickford’s outstretched arms to send the game into extra-time.
With Argentina having all the momentum, they duly fired themselves into the lead in the second minute of stoppage time.
Mac Allister’s effort struck the post, with Lionel Messi picking up the rebound – whipping a fizzing cross towards the back post to Laurato Martinez.
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And there was the unmarked Martinez to head home into an empty net to spark delirium from the Argentina fans in Atlanta.
England looked to send the game to extra-time by firing in hopeful crosses into the box – but they never created anything of note.
While Argentina celebrate reaching back-to-back finals as they look to become the first country to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1966, England’s stars were left in tears.
And for Durham, he believes the fault lies with Tuchel, as he said: “We stopped going forward and we knew coming into this we can’t defend, we can only attack.
“Don’t ask Argentina if they can score and give them 30 odd minutes to do it, I think Tuchel’s got this tactically totally wrong In this semi-final.”
Before adding: “You have to scrutinise Thomas Tuchel for going all defensive after less than an hour, surely?”
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England legend Stuart Pearce meanwhile stated: “Yeah, the tide was going against us, and Listen, you get paid the money to make those judgement calls in the technical area.
“If you’ve got a defensive action, fantastic, you see the game out, tt’s a great call.
“Our biggest problem was just dropping back and allowing Messi to get on the ball time and time again.”
And Durham has failed to hold back when tasked to rate and slate England’s players following their semi-final exit…
Flash Gordon
Gordon’s first goal at a major tournament couldn’t have come in a bigger match, but it sadly failed to matter.
Given the nod over Marcus Rashford once again, the Barcelona winger justified his inclusion in the team with England’s biggest World Cup goal since Geoff Hurst completed his hat-trick against Germany in the 1966 final.
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The magnitude of the goal wasn’t lost on Jim Proudfoot when giving his instant reaction when speaking on eSPORTY commentary.
He said: “That might just be England’s biggest moment in 60 years.”
Awarded an 8/10 – the joint highest rating alongside Djed Spence, Durham simply stated: “Terrific finish.”
No Kane, no gain
Despite finishing as England’s joint top World Cup scorer alongside Jude Bellingham with six goals, skipper Kane failed to make an impact.
He didn’t trouble Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez one, instead dropping deep to try and get on the ball.
It’s a decision that has seen Durham slam him for trying to follow in Messi’s footsteps.
Awarded a 6/10, Durham said of the Bayern Munich marksman: “Went deep to try and be Messi, but he isn’t.”
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Pick that out (the net)
Despite making a stunning stop to deny Gonzalez, Durham believes that Pickford’s small stature between the sticks played a role in England’s defeat.
He remarked in his full-time analysis: “Jordan Pickford’s stature has cost England there.
“I’ve mentioned this before, this happened in the quarter-final in Qatar, [Aurelien] Tchouameni from range [in 2-1 loss to France], he couldn’t reach it Jordan Pickford.
“This one wasn’t exactly in the inside netting, it wasn’t exactly in the corner and it was a goal.
“I think most other keepers would have got there.”
Giving his verdict on Pickford, who he awarded a 6/10 to in his ratings, Durham said: “Unbelievable save from Nico Gonzalez’s header, but his lack of stature cost England an equaliser.”
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A Tuch of arrogance?
Tuchel was given the lowest rating by Durham, with his defensive approach seeing him awarded a 2/10.
He said of the German: “Defending a lead for half an hour? Really?”
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