HEARTBREAK! Argentina vs. England FULL REACTION [World Cup Semis] | ESPN FC

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Tune into ESPN FC to recap Argentina vs. England following their World Cup semifinal clash, where Lionel Messi's assists played a vital role in Argentina advancing to the World Cup Final against Spain. ✔️ Subscribe to ESPN Unlimited: https://plus.espn.com/ ESPN

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[music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Welcome to ESPN FC Live, presented by Mobile. We now know that the World Cup final will be between Spain and Argentina. Argentina beating England by two goals to one, coming from a goal down in Atlanta. The final whistle has just gone. My name is Mark Donaldson, alongside Stevie Nicol. Football broke out in the second half. Did the best team win, Stevie? >> Oh [laughter] my goodness, did the best team win? That's That's a kind of a leading question. I'll tell you what, the team that actually came out eventually and tried to play football, won the game. Let me put it that way. Because for probably an hour, Argentina were just comfortable to sit and let things drift along. That's certainly how it felt. But when Alan Gordon scores that great goal, all of a sudden this team came alive. Now, you can question whether you think England's tactics were right or wrong, but at the end of the day, for that final 30 minutes of this game, Argentina were absolutely on fire. Not only did they score two goals, they hit the post twice. Uh Pickford made two fantastic saves. I mean, this was this was a real Argent- this was the real Argentina we saw in the last 30 minutes, but it it took them going behind to to wake up. Uh and it took them going behind for us to see why they were world champions 4 years ago. >> In adversity, they just become a different animal, and we saw that. We're not going to spend too much time talking about the first half. It was all perspiration and zero inspiration. Argentina started the second half very well, but just after Julián Álvarez had missed a chance, England showed Argentina how it's done. It's a brilliant ball in. Thomas Tuchel said that Morgan Rogers was a hunch. He felt he wanted to start He just had a hunch. And it was his delivery. He was given far too much time, and Molina was nowhere near Anthony Gordon. It's a brilliantly worked goal from England, and it gave them the lead in the 55th minute. What did you make of the goal and then England's reaction to going ahead? >> Well, as you said, the goal's a fantastic strike. You know, coaches make decisions uh on gut feeling, and sometimes it comes off, sometimes sometimes it doesn't. Uh and on this particular occasion, it absolutely came off. You know, Morgan Rogers' ball was fantastic. You know, cut out the center back, cut out the goalkeeper, and and actually, yes, you you can certainly ask questions of the of the fullback, but Anthony Gordon's run is at pace, it's timed to perfection, and the finish was absolutely superb. He absolutely placed that with his instep in the bottom corner. It wasn't a stab. It was calculated and it was finished off like a like a like a proper center forward. And so from there, it's okay. How does How does Argentina get going because they may have started the second half better, but it was only better because they were that bad in the first half. Uh but we saw what they're all about. We saw what they're capable of. But we also saw you know, the first thing that came to my mind was Gareth Southgate as England manager being criticized particularly in some finals going ahead and then sitting deep. And we said, "Oh, this is not going to happen under Tuchel. Tuchel wants to change the culture. Wants to change the mindset." Well, actually turned out it was uh South Southgate 2.0 because they decided that they were going to keep it tight. They brought on defenders to make sure that happened. And again, you can argue Thomas Tuchel did the right or the wrong thing. He did it against Mexico, although they had 10 men and it worked to perfection. Never gave an opportunity. He did it again today. The thought process was the same, but it didn't work at all. The defenders he brought on did not do the job. As I said previously, you know, Argentina have got two. They could have had three or four. It was going for Pickford in the pot and the woodwork. So, yeah, I think I think Thomas Tuchel will be will be ruined the decision he made to to go defensively and go so deep. >> I thought Jed Spence for probably the first half was absolutely magnificent. What about his tackle? As a former fullback, you've got to be able to appreciate that. Chance-saving tackle. It might have been a goal-saving tackle a couple of minutes after England had taken the lead when he went and slid in on Simeone. >> Let me put it this way. [laughter] If this game finishes 1-0, this challenge and this tackle will be would be talked about for for many a month, many a decade. That's how good a tackle it was. Unfortunately, the Jets bench, as good a challenge as it was, it will now disappear because they lost 2-1, because they didn't follow it through. And it may pop up now and again, but yeah, the fine line between immortality and people forgetting about certain things you do. >> Okay, it's half an hour between England scoring and Argentina equalizing. You played for the Liverpool team back in the day that didn't go behind very often, but it's it's like you suffocate the opposition. What could England have done better in that half hour? What substitutions might have been a little bit better because they were under the cosh, and Argentina had brought on Montiel to replace Molina to get deliveries in, and De Paul to replace Julian Alvarez, Otamendi to replace the Lisandro Martinez, and also Lautaro came on for Tagliafico. What could England have done better before Argentina got that equalizing goal? >> Well, there are two there are two main things that that could have seen them through. The first one is if you're going to decide to let the opposition have the ball and defend, then you have to defend in the right area. You can't stand at the top of your box. If you do that, then you're asking for trouble. That was the first mistake they made. The second one is about as simple as it gets. You stop the cross. You stop the cross. If England stopped the crosses coming in, they win this game 1-0. I've already mentioned a couple of times about the chances that Argentina had. They all came from crosses in the box. The Pickford save down at his feet, cross in the box, a header. There was one after that Gonzalez headed wide, cross in the box. The second goal, free header. You got You got what? Five center backs on the field. And and There's a free header at the far post. I mean Yeah, they did a lot of things wrong, but those were the Those were the two biggest mistakes they made. Number one, they were way too deep. And number two, they didn't stop the cross. >> Let's get into these Argentina chances. And you're spot on with everything you've said. 69th minute cross. >> Thank you very much. >> Messi. You're welcome. Nico Gonzalez, really good footwork I thought by Jordan Pickford to get down to that quickly as well. So, super save. But we're now seeing oodles and oodles of pressure. It's one-way traffic at this stage. Guess what happens in the 74th minute. And now there's crosses, Stevie said, that isn't cut out or at least pressure put on De Paul. McAllister hits the post. So, we've got the crosses as you've mentioned. But when Enzo's had a couple of sitters in this game, surely they've got to get a little bit closer. 85th minute, just before Argentina equalize, Pickford tips it over. They weren't close enough to him. And then from the resultant corner, Messi to De Paul back to Messi, then to Enzo. They've got all these defensive bodies. And from 25 yards, it's a brilliant strike. But not only have they not stopped the cross, why aren't they closer to Enzo? >> Well, because of what I said earlier, too deep. You know, and it wasn't that the one body's trying to close him down. Um I think Jude Bellingham ended up being the closest one to get into to Enzo. Uh but the starting position, you know, defending's about your starting position. If [snorts] you If you have a good starting position, then you can you can get to things, you can read things. But if your If your starting position's wrong, and on this occasion, they were too deep, then even though the desire is there to go and close the ball, you've left yourself too much ground to make up, uh and you can't get there. Uh and so, that's the gamble you take when you're so deep. And when it falls to somebody like Enzo who who had a a couple of sitters, as you said. Uh it was a fantastic shot, you know, Pickford can't get anywhere close to it. From the minute it left his boot, it was going away from Pickford, it was going at pace. Uh and there was nothing he could do about that. So, yeah, it's it's all about your starting position defensively, and they started too deep. And that first goal in particular is what got them. >> They had six defenders on the pitch at this stage, because Nico O'Reilly had come on, albeit he played in midfield for Declan Rice. Dan Burn had come on as well. We've seen games, Stevie, where you can have a lot of defenders on, but your starting position has to be a little bit higher. How easy is that to do when you just feel like you're under so much pressure that you're just being swamped as a defense? >> Well, I think I think [snorts] because of the amount of pressure that Argentina were putting on them, because they were so deep, they lost their composure. You know, how many times have we talked Many times you hear us talking about forwards in the penalty box when they either lose their composure or they keep their composure. And defending is no different, and I don't think I don't think defen- defenders are given enough recognition for this. But unfortunately for England, we saw today defenders >> [snorts] >> who under normal circumstances are fantastic players. That's why they're in the England squad. That's why they're playing in a World Cup semi-final. But there weren't enough of them when it was needed most that had the composure to get that starting point right. And more importantly, as well, to get everybody around them in a better position. You know, that's what communication is all about defensively. You get yourself in the right spot and then you move people around and make sure that they are in their right spot as well. There wasn't any of that. Unfortunately, nobody took charge. The goalkeeper clearly didn't take charge. Um you know, John Stones with his experience should have been one of the men that took charge, but clearly nobody did. Because when you get a free header at the back post, clear as a whistle, then then there's mistakes being made. As great as headers it was, there's mistakes being made. Lautaro, absolutely. I mean, he It was such a beautiful jump, clean header, right off the meat of the back. Goalkeeper, no chance, and boom, the game's over. >> What's more true, Argentina won this or England lost this? >> I think you've got to say that Argentina went and won it. They went and won it from a position where they had lost it. Uh and so to be so poor for so long for an hour and then to all of a sudden really turn a switch, shows you that that the quality they actually had. They actually showed us in this half an hour what they're capable of at their best because make no mistake, for 30 minutes going forward they were dynamite. You know, we can criticize England for being too deep and lacking composure defensively, but that all came from the boys in blue. That all came from Argentinian players being sharp, making good decisions, and then of course being clinical when they get the opportunities and putting the ball in the back of the net. >> A lot of people, and I think quite rightly, had said this isn't the Argentina that won the World Cup. But that last half hour was, wasn't it? >> 100%. >> [snorts] >> Yeah, and that's and that's why to answer your question was Did Did England lose it or did Argentina win it? I think we saw in that last half an hour why Argentina were world champions 4 years ago. They went and won it, no question for me. >> Is that because they don't think about consequences? They know they're going out when they're a goal down. They know they can take risks. They know they can take chances. So, how hard is that to play against? >> Well, it is because things change, you know, it becomes a schoolyard game. It It doesn't become a professional tactical battle, shall we say, of one coach and his team trying to play this tactical way and and do all these other things. And certainly going forward, it's the chains are off. We've got to We've just got to figure it out. And when you've got a team as talented as they are, uh and it's it's left to >> [snorts] >> jump over the goal posts, as we say, it's it's all skill, it's right. Show us what you got. Forget the tactics, forget what we're talking about. Let's see what you got cuz we need it now. And we can't wait any longer. And that's what you got. You got You got schoolboy football. Playground stuff. Players taking on the Players taking on other players. Whipping crosses in. I mean, my goodness, how many crosses did we see in that last 30 minutes? We probably saw more more more perfect crosses in the last 30 minutes in this game than we've seen the whole of the tournament. That's why people like me scream at the TV about putting the ball in the box. And Argentina just did that, you know, they got rid of all the tippy-tappy and going sideways and keeping the ball. It was right. The goal's there and we're going that way. And that's what we got. >> Loads of questions from our viewers watching along. I like this one. Can Argentina play like that against Spain the way they did in the half hour to win this one? >> Unfortunately, I don't believe Argentina are going to start this final the way they finished this semi-final. Let me put it that way. I think absolutely you're going to see Argentina trying to do something similar. Unfortunately, they're playing against a team in Spain who are way better at keeping the ball than England were. Um you know, England for me have have been about power and pace. Uh Spain are are about subtlety and keeping the ball and hope waiting for you to slip up, make a mistake, and then try to shove the dagger into you. Um so yeah, I I think Argentina are going to be a little cunning, a little coy again. I think Spain are going to have the ball. And then if Spain do go ahead, then maybe we will see the Argentina of the last 30 minutes of this game against England. But I certainly don't expect I don't expect to see Argentina doing what they did against England for this generally most of the second half. >> Football can be a very fickle mistress. Thomas Tuchel takes England to the World Cup final. He's got the chance to become a legend along with all the others. But instead, they lose two late goals, and now we've got our viewers bringing up the comments about Bellingham and his response. How would you summarize and summarize England's campaign? Because they probably overachieved, but this isn't a nice way to go out. >> I I honestly don't think they overachieved. I I think I think there are questions about how smooth um and silky they are in terms of the football they play. You know, I don't We're certainly not We We never expected Brazil of the '70s. We didn't expect the Spain of the the 2000 whatever it was. What we did expect was them to be strong and powerful uh and and and if need be muscle teams out of games. And I think that's what we got. I think I think the semi-final absolutely was was acceptable. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants to play in the final. Uh but at the end of the day, the questions should be about Tuchel's decision to go defensive so deep. That would be the That would be the real question I would ask Thomas Tuchel if I had an opportunity to. And again, coaches live and die by their decisions. You know, had Had England held on and defended heroically the way they did against Mexico, everybody would be patting them all on the back, players and coaches, saying they did the right thing cuz it paid off. Unfortunately, this time it didn't pay off and so with that comes the criticism. And so if if England's media good at one thing, they're good at criticizing England's coach and so he better be prepared for it. >> Well, at the start of this show, you suggested that the tactics in the last half hour from Tuchel were Southgate 2.0. So, in the final from 2 years ago in the Euros against Spain to now, have England improved and evolved under Thomas Tuchel? >> [laughter] >> Well, you're just telling me they're in a final. They just got knocked out in the semi-final. So, logically you'd say no. >> Um Euros versus World Cup, there's a difference. >> Well, listen, and at the end of the day, they got knocked out in the semi-final. Thomas Tuchel was taken here was brought in here to A get to the World Cup final and B win it. You know, they didn't sign Thomas Tuchel to to turn them into the silky Brazil of the 1970s. Um I would say England are a stronger unit. I'd say they're a they're a more powerful team. Are they a better team? You know, at the end of the day, international football is about results. And today, the result was no better than it was 5, 10, 15 years ago. >> England had five shots today. That's the fewest in a World Cup match that they've played in in the last 60 years. What would have been the benefit of maybe being a little bit more attacking? Because at times you thought they're getting involved in a street fight and there's only one winner there. But also, but if they'd gone and done that, what would have been the problem? >> I think that's unfair, you know. Argentina defended well for 55 minutes and England were the team, in my opinion, who who were trying to go forward and were trying to attack. You know, other >> That's the fewest in >> Other than the last 10 minutes of the first half, England were in control of the game. And the fact and the fact that they only made five shots is to do with the way Argentina defended and how they weren't quite at their best going forward. I don't think we can sit here and think that England didn't go and try and win this game. They absolutely did. They got themselves in a position to win it. Again, we'd love them to make 10 chances and and and score nine goals or whatever, but they didn't. But at the end of the day, I think I think it's unfair to say they didn't go and try and win the game. What we can What we can really talk about is what happened in the last half an hour and the decision they made then. But yeah, the fact that they got five shots, I don't think was was because they were being safe. >> [snorts] >> It was just a combination of good defending from Argentina and England not quite being at their best going forward. >> I know where you were born and who you played for suggests this would never happen, but if you were the England manager and you went one nil up in a World Cup semi-final against Argentina. What would you have done differently that Thomas Tuchel didn't do today? >> Look, I think in in the natural way games play out in a in a game like this, you're one-nil up with 30 minutes to go, you're playing against Argentina, the they're always going to push forward. And we can all sit here on the outside and talk about, well, you shouldn't take a step back. Why don't you try and go on and win the game? Well, but you know, you can you can do all that, but in the natural course of a game like this, the team who are behind are naturally going to start pushing forward a little bit. And the natural reaction is to be a little safer if you're the team that's one up. The problem I have is not that they were a little safer. My problem is is they were way too deep, and nobody changed it. Nobody on the field changed it, and nobody on the coaching staff changed looked as though they were trying to change it. >> [snorts] >> That That's my problem. >> And now, our legendary performance, presented by Mobile. Who you got today? >> Well, this is a this is a tough one. I I You look at You look