Kane: Holding 1-0 Lead Wasn't Enough vs Argentina
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- Argentina scored twice in the final seven minutes (85' and 90+2) to overturn England's 1-0 lead and win 2-1 in Atlanta, with Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez finishing after Lionel Messi assisted both goals.
- Anthony Gordon fired England ahead in the 55th minute, but Kane admitted the side stopped pressing after going in front, allowing 'wave after wave' of Argentina pressure that England could not contain.
- Thomas Tuchel described England as 'too passive' after the goal, defended his substitutions and stuck with a 4-4-2 before shifting to a back five in the 71st minute — a switch he insisted was 'not a structural problem.'
- Sky Sports' Ron Walker noted England surrendered nearly 93% of possession to Argentina in the 21 minutes between the formation change and the winner, managing zero touches in Argentina's box after scoring.
- Chris Sutton called the collapse 'a coaching catastrophe,' while Kaveh Solhekol drew a direct parallel to England's 2018 semi-final exit — both featured retreating into a defensive shell with a lead against superior opposition.
- Gary Neville said 'England will never have a better chance to reach a final,' arguing the squad grew too narrow and too deep in the closing stages — 'I can't believe how many times I have seen this from England in a tournament.'
- Spain awaits Argentina in the World Cup final after England became the third consecutive team to be eliminated by the defending champions' late surge.
Why it matters: England's elimination extends their wait for a men's World Cup final appearance and reignites debate over the team's tournament mentality — Tuchel was hired specifically for knockout-stage tactical acumen, yet his decision to retreat into a defensive shell with a 1-0 lead drew near-universal criticism from ex-players who called it a repeat of the very failures Southgate was sacked for.
