The 'anti-heroes' responsible for England's defeat to Argentina

The England national team has once again broken the hearts of millions of fans. For the second time in just over two years, the 'Three Lions' were on the verge of reaching a final against Spain. However, the intense semi-final clash against Argentina turned into a true nightmare for the English.

Leading until the 85th minute, the English retreated too deep in the final moments, and this error proved costly — two devastating goals conceded in the final seconds knocked England out of the tournament.

Zamin.uz presents an analysis of this dramatic defeat and the brutal ratings given to the game's three most unsuccessful stars.

The great curse continues: The inventors of football, the English, have not won a major international tournament for 60 years (excluding the British Home Championship and the Rous Cup). How much longer this wait will last remains unknown.

England's three 'symbols of failure'

In this match, the main stars of the England national team performed well below their level. The ratings given by experts clearly prove this (the highest rating criterion is 10 points, and the starting rating is 6.0).

1. Jude Bellingham — 3.0 points

While Bellingham had saved England many times in previous matches, he could not repeat that miracle this time. English fans expected him to decide the game individually once again. However, the Argentines, understanding this well, completely neutralized Jude. As a result, Bellingham's expected assists (xA) indicator was almost zero — only 0.01 .

2. Harry Kane — 3.0 points

The team captain, like Bellingham, could not play at the expected level. With almost no balls delivered to him in the front line, Kane was forced to drop deeper and provide passes from deep positions. One of his long-range passes was unsuccessfully cleared by opponent defender Tagliafico, helping create a dangerous situation for his teammates. However, shortly after, Kane himself failed to receive Morgan's comfortable pass, causing a dangerous counter-attack for the opponent. Furthermore, Harry lost 6 out of 8 duelson the pitch.

3. John Stones — 3.0 points

Aerial balls were usually considered the strongest weapon of English football. But this time, the English defense was caught off guard when Argentina used this exact style. Stones, who stood in the center alongside Guehi against the opposing forwards, failed to fully mark Nico Gonzalez, Alexis Mac Allister, and Lautaro Martinez. In the goal assist provided by Messi to Lautaro, Stones made a mistake in a situation where he could have won the aerial duel.

Heroes of defeat: Who got what rating?

These gross tactical errors made by the English before the final and the weak performance of the leaders deprived them of the main trophy once again. Now they are forced to wait for a new opportunity.