What does the future hold for Tuchel as Argentina & Messi march on? | OneFootball

Another night of World Cup chaos delivered heartbreak for England and gave Argentina a unique opportunity to reach a historic feat.

More than 60 years since Brazil became the last team to lift the trophy in consecutive tournaments, La Albiceleste are just one win away from immortality.

On the other hand, England’s fears of another major disappointment came true after a costly tactical retreat at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Read on as we dissect the Three Lions’ collapse.

Tuchel’s defensive gamble comes back to bite Three Lions

England had Argentina right where they wanted, only for Thomas Tuchel to condemn his side to yet another heartbreak at a major tournament.

After a goalless first half, the Three Lions took a well-deserved lead through Anthony Gordon, who snuck behind on the far post to tuck home a superb low cross from Morgan Rogers.

Up until that moment, England fared far better than the reigning champions.

Instead of commanding his troops to stay high up the pitch in pursuit of a killing blow, he ordered them to drop deep and protect a one-goal lead far too early, inviting relentless pressure from Argentina.

What was Tuchel thinking?

Though it felt like the 1996 winners could get away with a slender victory after La Albiceleste squandered several golden opportunities, the writing was on the wall all along; only Tuchel couldn’t see it.

Enzo Fernandez’s long-range effort restored parity in the 85th minute, and even that was not a wake-up call for the European giants, who continued to sit back and defend with everything they had.

Buoyed by the late equaliser, Argentina intensified the pressure down the final stretch and eventually found a way to turn the game on its head, as second-half substitute Lautaro Martinez scored the simplest of headers to complete the turnaround.

With only a few minutes left on the clock, England never really stood a chance of fighting back and will have to settle for a consolation prize when they face France in a third-place showdown.

No one can stop Messi

Every time Lionel Scaloni’s men need a miracle, Lionel Messi answers their prayers.

Last night, La Albiceleste’s title defence looked dead in the water, but the 39-year-old came up huge once again to bail them out of trouble.

Messi may have failed to add to his eight-goal tally at this World Cup, yet he registered a pair of assists in just seven minutes to inspire Argentina’s comeback.

While Fernandez deserves much of the credit for Argentina’s equaliser, the second goal had Messi’s fingerprints all over it.

Despite being marked by two England defenders, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner produced another moment of genius, setting up Lautaro with an inch-perfect cross with his weaker right foot.

All the Inter Milan captain had to do was nod the ball into an empty net and lead the South American powerhouse to a sensational win in a grudge match against one of the best teams in the world.

With eight goals and four assists to his name, Messi has now leapfrogged Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race and, more importantly, kept his nation’s dream of back-to-back World Cup triumphs alive.

It’s no wonder Argentina fans worship the little magician, and another victory on the grandest stages of all would be a fitting end to arguably the most remarkable career in the history of football.

Mbappe poised to spoil Tuchel’s rescue mission

After Spain denied France a third consecutive appearance in the World Cup final and reduced Mbappe to a non-factor, the Real Madrid superstar will be determined to end his tournament on a high note.

Despite failing to captain his team into another title-deciding fixture, the 27-year-old looks destined for more World Cup records, especially now that Messi prepares to bid farewell to the competition.

Mbappe’s 20 career World Cup goals rank second to Messi’s record of 21, and it feels almost inevitable that the former Paris Saint-Germain forward will eventually set a new benchmark.

With two, if not three, World Cups ahead of him, Mbappe is likely to set an almost untouchable standard, and few would bet against him surpassing the Argentina icon before Sunday’s final.

His name was missing from the board when France left England in their wake on their road to the 2022 World Cup final, yet he remains the biggest threat standing between Tuchel and redemption.

In fact, Mbappe is no stranger to scoring against the Three Lions as he found the net in Les Bleus’ 3-2 friendly win as a 19-year-old in 2017, fueling his hopes of overtaking Messi in the Golden Boot race.

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Tuchel wasted no time clarifying his plans for the future after England’s gut-wrenching defeat in Atlanta, confirming his intention to stay at the helm despite mounting criticism over his tactical approach.

Whether he is the right man for the job remains a polarising topic, and with another opportunity slipping through England’s fingers, the debate is far from over, regardless of the outcome of their upcoming clash against France.

After failing to become the first foreign manager in World Cup history to win the trophy, the scrutiny surrounding the 52-year-old’s future is only likely to intensify.

Beating Les Bleus may not necessarily change the wider perception of his tenure, but securing a podium finish would still represent a respectable return from his maiden World Cup campaign.