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Former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has blamed England manager Thomas Tuchel for the Three Lions’ dramatic 2-1 defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, saying the German “destroyed the game” with his defensive substitutions, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
nEngland looked on course for their first men’s World Cup final since their 1966 triumph after Anthony Gordon gave them the lead in the 55th minute of the semi-final in Atlanta.
nHowever, Argentina mounted a late comeback as Enzo Fernandez levelled the scores five minutes from time before Lautaro Martinez headed home Lionel Messi’s cross in stoppage time to seal a 2-1 victory and book a place in the final against Spain.
nReacting to England’s collapse, Ideye criticised Tuchel’s tactical approach after the opening goal, insisting the manager surrendered the initiative by adopting a defensive mindset too early.
n“I am just upset because Thomas Tuchel finished the game. He destroyed the game and the team,” Ideye said while on punditry duties with Sporty TV.
n“He had Marcus Rashford and Ivan Toney on the bench but he brought in defenders. You have to come out and play when you are one goal up.
n“He started defending from the 72nd minute and you can’t do that against a team like Argentina who keep the ball and look for Messi all the time. It’s sad for them to go out like this.”
nAfter Gordon’s opener, Argentina piled on the pressure and were denied several times by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who produced a brilliant reflex save to keep out Nico Gonzalez’s header. Alexis Mac Allister also struck the woodwork before Fernandez eventually found the equaliser with a superb 25-yard effort.
nTuchel responded by reinforcing his defence with four central defenders, but Argentina’s dominance continued. Mac Allister hit the post again before Martinez completed the turnaround in the 92nd minute, heading home Messi’s delivery to send the reigning champions into another World Cup final.
nEngland will now face France in the third-place play-off, while Argentina will attempt to retain their world title against Spain on Sunday.

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Tuchel destroyed England against Argentina – Ideye

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