Tuchel, who has been "beaten" in the Champions League, has once again forgotten that "football is a game for the brave."

Written by Han Yixi Bring football home? Messi says, no, not yet. And Tuchel silently gave his wish a boost.

The highly anticipated England-Argentina clash in Atlanta once again delivered a classic match for fans. England had come closer than ever to their long-chanted goal of "bringing football home," but Tuchel's self-destructive substitutions dashed their hopes once more.

For England, football will not return home for now; they must wait at least another four years. Of course, the England players cannot go home just yet either—the third-place match against France in Miami in three days feels like a consolation prize.

Both coaches adjusted their starting lineups. Tuchel kept the 4-2-3-1 formation, with Spence and Reece James replacing O'Riley and Konsa at full-back. A bigger surprise was Rogers starting on the right wing instead of Madueke or Saka, who had rotated in the previous six games—perhaps his long-range shot that set up Bellingham's winner earned Tuchel's trust. Scaloni's lineup looked more like a 4-1-4-1, with winger Simeone replacing midfielder De Paula, while Alvarez, who scored a worldie last round, played more as a left winger, with Messi as the lone striker.

A classic rivalry needs no motivation or warm-up. Just three minutes in, Anderson grabbed and pulled Messi without a foul, and Enzo immediately retaliated with a body check, sparking the first clash of the match. Throughout the first half, both sides constantly tested the referee's tolerance, engaging in physical battles across every corner of the pitch. It wasn't until the 37th minute, when Messi dribbled past three players in midfield and was fouled by Anderson again, that the referee finally showed the first yellow card of the game.

The two teams combined for zero shots in the first 30 minutes—the first time this has happened since 1966, when World Cup data began. The drought ended in the 32nd minute when Stones headed a free kick from Rice wide. In the entire first half, there were 19 fouls but only three shots, none on target. The combined expected goals (xG) was just 0.08, the lowest in World Cup knockout history.

The second half saw a dramatic shift. In the 47th minute, Argentina mounted a series of attacks; Alvarez shook off a defender in the box and fired a shot that Pickford saved—the first shot on target for either side. However, it was England who broke the deadlock first. In the 55th minute, Rogers crossed, and Gordon slotted home with a deft finish past Argentine right-back Molina.

Barcelona's scouting mission was a success! Gordon, who will join Camp Nou after the World Cup, has now been directly involved in four goals in this tournament (one goal, three assists). Argentina, having conceded in five straight matches, did not panic. Just a minute later, Messi delivered a precise through ball, putting Simeone through on goal, but Spence sprinted back to clear the ball just before the byline.

Scaloni then began making changes, substituting winger Nico González for Paredes in the 64th minute, pushing Alvarez back to the forward line and reverting to the familiar 4-4-2. Argentina's attacks visibly intensified. In the 69th minute, Nico González headed Messi's cross, and Pickford made a brilliant save, but the pressure on England's goal was palpable.

During the water break in the 72nd minute, both teams made further adjustments. Scaloni made three changes at once, bringing on Montiel, De Paul, and Otamendi for Molina, Simeone, and the yellow-carded Lisandro Martínez. In contrast, Tuchel made the substitution that would draw the most criticism after the match: he replaced Gordon, the goal-scorer and England's most dangerous counter-attacking threat, with defender Konsa, switching to a five-man defense.

This was a clear signal to sit back and defend, similar to what Tuchel did in the first knockout round against hosts Mexico. But that match was a grueling 3-2 win after being reduced to ten men, whereas this time he voluntarily abandoned attack for defense, which felt more like a sign of weakness. Tuchel explained afterward that he felt the England players were becoming passive on the pitch, so he chose to drop back.

With little to worry about defensively, the Argentines surged forward without restraint, turning the game into a near half-pitch practice session. In the 76th minute, De Paul delivered a precise cross, and the charging Mac Allister headed the ball inches wide off the post. In the 81st minute, Scaloni played his final trump card, bringing on Lautaro for left-back Tagliafico to launch an all-out assault. Tuchel, once again "surrendered," replacing Reece James and Rice with the towering Dan Burn (2m) and O'Riley (1.93m). England now had six defenders on the field, though O'Riley played more in midfield. Still, England was almost entirely pinned back in their own defensive third.

Tuchel may have forgotten that football is supposed to be a game for the brave—constant retreat and concession only invites more punishment. He certainly forgot the "shame" of two years ago, when his Bayern team led 1-0 against Real Madrid in the semi-finals but retreated entirely, only to concede two late goals and miss out on the final. The German also overlooked a crucial fact: Argentina was the highest-scoring team in this World Cup, having scored three goals in each of their previous three knockout rounds. With at least 25 minutes left, who could be sure of stopping their full-throttle attack?

In the 85th minute, Argentina finally equalized after repeatedly trying crosses and long-range shots in the latter stages. Messi attracted two defenders and played a cutback to Enzo, whose previous long-range efforts had all failed. This time, his shot left Pickford with no chance. Pickford made five saves in the match—his first time achieving five or more saves in a World Cup game since 2018 against Croatia. Bellingham, who tried to block Enzo's shot, looked helpless as he lay on the ground; the player who should have closed him down was the substituted Rice.

Argentina, who had already gone to extra time twice in the knockout stages, was not satisfied with a draw. In the 92nd minute, Messi won the ball high up the pitch and, under pressure from O'Riley and Spence, delivered a precise cross with his less-favored right foot. Lautaro nodded home at the far post to complete the comeback.

This was Messi's 12th assist on the World Cup stage, with 10 coming in knockout matches. He has now been directly involved in a goal in 11 consecutive World Cup games, extending his own record. In the scoring charts, he leads with 8 goals and 4 assists, overtaking Mbappé's 8 goals and 3 assists. Lautaro scored off the bench for the second straight match—Argentina's third substitute goal in this World Cup, behind only Belgium (5) and Senegal (4).

In the 95th minute, Tuchel brought on two strikers, Rashford and Ivan Toney, for defenders Stones and Spence. But this desperate, last-gasp gamble, like a panicked patient trying any remedy, was never likely to work. From Gordon's goal to Lautaro's winner, England's possession was just 12%.

The nine minutes of stoppage time stretched to twelve. When the final whistle blew, the Three Lions were out. In the 21st century, only two World Cup teams have failed to reach the final after scoring first in the semi-finals—the previous was England themselves in 2018.

After the match, Tuchel firmly stated he would not resign and would fulfill his contract to lead the team to the European Championship co-hosted by the UK and Ireland in two years. But the criticism over his foolish substitutions that led to the team's elimination has echoed around the world. Captain Kane, whose Golden Ball odds plummeted from a dominant 46% before the match to just 13.5% afterward, dropping to third, showed his disappointment: "I'm gutted. To sit back after going 1-0 up on this stage... it's not enough."

By the way, two years ago, when Tuchel lost the Bundesliga and suffered a humiliating Champions League exit with Bayern, it was Kane's first season at the club. And Bellingham, who had the last laugh back then, found himself on the receiving end of consolation this time…