Müller criticizes England's error: 'I can't wrap my head around it'

England's semifinal defeat to Argentina has sparked sharp criticism. Former Germany striker Thomas Müller expressed his disbelief at why the English retreated into defense after taking the lead.

“How could they let this happen?”

In statements attributed to Müller in open sources, he severely criticized England's actions after the goal. In his view, the team surrendered the initiative to the opponent, allowing Argentina to attack freely from the flanks.

“I can't believe or understand it — how did England start playing after scoring? How could they allow Argentina to cross from the wings over and over again? Every time, they gave them the opportunity to deliver the ball from a very comfortable position. I can't wrap my head around it!” said Müller.

His criticism focused primarily on England's excessive retreat to protect the scoreline.

The game changed completely after the goal

After Anthony Gordon opened the scoring in the 55th minute, England seemed close to the final. But after that, Argentina applied heavy pressure and took almost complete control of the game. In the 37 minutes between Gordon's goal and Lautaro Martínez's winner, England had only 12 percent possession.

Argentina sent many crosses into the opponent's penalty area from the wings. England, meanwhile, lost the ability to counter-attack or hold the ball in the opponent's half.

In the 85th minute, Enzo Fernández equalized. In the second minute of stoppage time, Lionel Messidelivered a cross from the wing, which Lautaro Martínez headed into the net to secure a 2-1 victory for Argentina.

Tuchel also admitted the team became too passive

After the match, England head coach Thomas Tuchel did not hide that the team acted too passively after the goal.

The coach said England allowed the opponent too many shots and crosses from the wings. Tuchel stated he tried to increase the number of defenders, but took responsibility as the decisions made did not yield the expected results.

Thus, Müller's criticism aligned with the England coach's post-match analysis: instead of pushing forward, the team tried to preserve their lead and ultimately lost the initiative entirely.

One last chance remains for England

After the semifinal defeat, England will face France in the third-place play-off of the World Cup. Argentina will compete for the title against Spain in the final.

A bronze medal would be an opportunity for England to end the tournament on a positive note. However, the retreat in the final minutes against Argentina and the squandered victory will surely be discussed for a long time.

Do you think England's defeat was caused by the players' passivity or did Thomas Tuchel choose the wrong tactics?