Built to Fail
What Wins consistently at the Highest Level in Professional Sport is Control. Against France, All XI Spanish Players possessed the unique ability to receive the football under pressure, retain it, and in many cases pass it forward. The Spanish Win against France was about the ability to Control the Game with the Football. It was also about the Intent to Control the Game with the Football.
In the First Half between England and Argentina, I believe that the latter was worried about the former. Argentina always play Edgy Football, but their overaggressiveness told me that they respected England were concerned especially about Jude Bellingham’s Ability to take over a Football Match in front of goal. In My Estimation, when Anthony Gordon scores off a brilliant Morgan Rogers cross, England were the better team.
At that Moment, England’s Players retreated into defense. It’s important to note here that this is a Natural Human Instinct. This is certainly an English Instinct at the National Team Level. Thomas Tuchel was hired to overcome that Instinct. Instead, Thomas Tuchel leaned into the Survivalist Football that we’ve seen from England Managers throughout English Football History. Again, it is Natural to have a defensive posture in that situation. The problem for Tuchel is that he offered no solutions to Get on the Football, Find an Out Ball, or Generate a Counter-Attack. Instead, he invited wave after wave in the hope that England could run out the clock. That was of course unlikely to happen against Argentina. As Stu Holden said at the conclusion of this game about Argentina, “It’s in their Blood.”
When Brazil was going out of the tournament against Norway, Carlo Ancelotti was unable to get his best player the football. When Spain had France in a chokehold, Didier Deschamps did virtually nothing. There was no Jean-Philippe Mateta. He never changed Kylian Mbappe’s Position. He never changed Ousmane Dembele’s Position. He never thought to play Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise together to compete with Spain technically. The disappointment with Tuchel isn’t that he didn’t Find the Right Solution, is that he never went in search for it. Alternatively, Lionel Scaloni parked Messi Wide Right and allowed him to Pick Apart England like Tom Brady in Super Bowl 51.
But this Semifinal was lost in England’s Preparation for the World Cup. It was lost in how Tuchel Built this Team. Tuchel Built this Team to suffer and only suffer. The alternatives to suffering were Set Piece Specialists. The alternatives were never a Linking No. 10, a Midfield Metronome, or a Right Back with Regista Ball Skills. This is not to say that the presence of those functions would have changed this result. That is to say that until England leans into Playing Football Mano a Mano, they are unlikely to get over the line against Superior Teams like Argentina.
The Inefficiency in Football and for that matter the Highest Level in Professional Sports remains the same. That Inefficiency is Building High-Quality Football Teams that Play Football in a way that is consistent with Elite Success. Overcoming this Inefficiency isn’t easy. But overcoming this inefficiency requires certain Roster and Lineup Construction decisions. The Two Finalists are the most efficient in this regard. Luis de la Fuente and Lionel Scaloni largely play completely Aligned XIs. Where there is Inefficiency, they establish Efficiency through Repetition. We are setup for a fascinating final on Sunday where Absolute Control Meets Messi.