Harry Kane admitted England's attempt to protect a 1-0 lead cost them dearly as Argentina's late show produced a devastating 2-1 comeback in their World Cup semi-final. The England captain cut a dejected figure after Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute opener was cancelled out by goals from Enzo Fernandez (85) and Lautaro Martinez (90+2), both set up by the irrepressible Lionel Messi.
Match in a nutshell
England had looked controlled for large spells at the Atlanta Stadium, pressing Argentina high and forcing mistakes. Gordon's clinical strike from a well-worked move seemed to put Tuchel's side on course for a first World Cup final since 1966. But the narrative changed dramatically once they took the lead.
Argentina seized the initiative as England sat deeper, inviting wave after wave of attacks. Fernandez bent a superb equaliser from distance, and deep into stoppage time Martinez headed home Messi's cross to break English hearts and send the defending champions through to another final.
Kane's brutal assessment
"I'm gutted," Kane said. "We played a good game for the large majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough, so I'm gutted."
The striker admitted the message from the bench was to push for a second, but the team's body language told a different story.
"After the goal, whether they were putting more men forward or us not being able to match them man-to-man, it was just wave after wave. The lads were putting blocks in but in the end it was not enough."
Tuchel's tactical regrets?
Thomas Tuchel conceded England grew "too passive" after scoring but insisted his substitutions were not the problem.
"We just conceded so many crosses and chances and shots. We were close but we couldn't keep the level up after we scored," the manager said.He refused to blame the defensive changes that many pundits felt invited Argentina's late onslaught.
"I did not have the feeling that offensive substitutions would help. It was not a structural problem, we changed nothing. But the match changed completely."
What comes next
Argentina advance to a second successive World Cup final, while England's trophy drought extends. The wait for that elusive piece of silverware goes on, and the inquest into another near miss will inevitably begin. For Kane and his teammates, it was a painful case of what might have been.