England — Argentina

For 35 minutes, England looked like they might pull off the heist of the tournament. Then the last five minutes happened — and the scoreline told a completely different story than the one that had been building all night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Let's be brutally honest. Argentina's xG was 1.84 to England's 0.53. That is not a close match — that is a siege with one desperate counterattack that found the net. The final 2-1 is almost exactly what the game deserved. England set up to suffocate, surrendering the ball deliberately and trusting their defensive shape. In the second half their possession collapsed to 28 percent. It worked until it didn't. Anthony Gordon's 55th-minute strike — a moment of pure individual quality — gave England a lead their xG had absolutely no right to support. One big chance, one goal. Miraculous might be the word. But defending a lead with 36 percent possession is like holding back a tide with your hands. Argentina had 15 shots, three big chances — and wasted two of them. That profligacy kept England alive far longer than they deserved. Lionel Messi, rated 8.24, was the constant axis — finding pockets, stretching England's compact block, demanding decisions from defenders already on the edge. England's structural weakness became fatal once Declan Rice went off at 82 minutes. The gap between defensive and midfield lines widened immediately. Argentina needed only three more minutes to find it: Enzo Fernández equalized at 85, Lautaro Martínez sealed it in the 90th. Natural, inevitable, correct. Argentina were not flawless either — three yellow cards before the hour, two big chances squandered, a first half that lacked the cutting edge their possession deserved. A sharper England could have punished that. The score reflects the match. England's goal does not reflect England's performance — and that is the hard truth they must carry home. Was England's defensive setup brave tactics or naive surrender? And does Argentina's habit of wasting big chances worry you before the final? On FootLegion the goals of your nation stay with you forever. Drop your takes below.