Vietnamese football expert: 'England pays the price for aerial balls'

According to the coaches, the early defensive retreat and weak aerial ball defending led to England's heavy price of two swift goals conceded to a clever Argentina side.

The second semifinal of the 2026 World Cup ended with a dramatic and unbelievable script. Argentina once again proved their champion pedigree with a stunning comeback to secure a spot in the final against Spain, as Lionel Messi continued to be the core of South America's explosive style of play.

Watching the entire match, coach Nguyen Tien Dung (former assistant coach of Hanoi FC) stated that the "Three Lions" overly passive deep defense was the direct cause of their defeat.

Coach Tien Dung commented: "This was a semifinal full of fiery play and rich emotion. Both teams started with high confidence, unafraid of physical clashes, and even used tricks to unsettle their opponents throughout the first half.

The balance only broke in the second half when tactical moves were unveiled, giving England a surprise opening goal from a cross that allowed a forward to cut in and finish. However, after taking the lead, England chose a negative approach by dropping deep and pulling out almost all attacking midfielders and forwards. This decision inadvertently handed Argentina the flanks to apply full pressure without fear of counterattacks.

More seriously, England's tall backline was extremely passive in defending aerial balls, repeatedly allowing Argentina's strikers to freely choose positions and head the ball.

When they fell behind after the comeback, hurriedly substituting forwards came too late. Conversely, Argentina defended aerial balls very proactively, always having two players pressing and marking, completely neutralizing England's early crosses in the final stages." Sharing the same view, coach Ho Thanh Thuong (Deputy Director of Bac Giang Youth Football Center) believed England's mistake lay in their premature defensive mindset: "England's intention to preserve a 1-0 lead was clear as they packed the box without any plan to transition or counter-press.

They allowed Argentina to freely pump balls into the penalty area in various ways. Moreover, Lionel Messi's cunning created the difference. Messi constantly changed the trajectory and method of delivery: from early curled crosses, low cutback crosses, to dribbling to the byline and pulling back to the second line. If they had been luckier with their finishing, Argentina could have even won with a more comfortable scoreline."

Successfully overcoming the "Three Lions," Argentina will enter the final to defend their crown against Spain at 2:00 AM on July 20 (Vietnam time). Meanwhile, England will face France in the third-place match at 4:00 AM on July 19.