The World Cup of Soccer (Football everywhere else!) is winding down. Just the consolation game for third place Saturday, and the championship Sunday between reigning champion Argentina and Spain. Missing? England. England hasn’t won the World Cup since 1966, and their goal this year was to fix that. They failed, eliminated in the semi-final by Argentina. You can read about the game here.
Why did England lose? There’s no shortage of articles you can read, but they all say the same thing: England’s manager, Thomas Tuchel, chose to defend rather than attack when they went up 1 – 0 with more than 30 minutes left to play. Here are some snippets from Tuchel’s retreat set up England’s World Cup exit as Argentina smelled blood by Tom Hamilton, published by ESPN, July 16.
“The changes we made didn’t help us. Devastated,” was former England striker-turned pundit Wayne Rooney’s assessment. Ex-defender Micah Richards said “tactically, we all thought he got it wrong today.”
Just 10 days ago, the England boss was being hailed as a tactical genius for the manner in which his side held out against Mexico, playing with a back five, down to 10 men, repelling any and everything thrown at them to win their quarterfinal 3-2 at the Azteca. But in the semifinal, the same defensive switch coincided with Argentina finding another level to grab two late goals and win 2-1.
“There was blood in the water, and we went for it,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said said afterward.
… the damning statistics from the Argentina match are hard to ignore. Tuchel was hired to deliver England their second World Cup star. It’s the message he gave the players in his first team talk back in March 2025: It’s time to end 60 years of hurt and bring the trophy home. Except it isn’t coming home, because England lost all control of the match in that final half-hour.
From the 55th minute when Gordon scored through to Argentina’s winner in the 92nd minute, England had just 12% possession. They allowed Argentina 37 minutes with 88% possession — a team who at that point had four forwards on the pitch, stretching England’s defense and offering midfielders …time on the edge of the box.
…Tuchel’s substitutions were too negative. When England were winning 1-0, Tuchel brought on three defenders…With the benefit of hindsight, critics said Tuchel should have used attacking replacements for those flagging legs to chase the second goal, rather than protect the slender 1-0 lead.
I think you get the idea.
Scripture is clear. The Apostle Paul did not try “to protect a lead.” He pressed on and expected us to do the same:
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind… (Philippians 3.12 – 15, ESV)
“I press on…I press toward the goal…”
Jesus said it first in an often misunderstood promise:
…I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16.18, ESV)
Often people picture the church under attack, but that’s not what Jesus said. It’s not, “The gates of the church shall not prevail against Hades.” It’s, “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against the (attacking) church.”
Michael Zarling, whom I don’t know, captures the idea well, closing his blog on Matthew 16.18:
One of my all-time favorite movies is “The Princess Bride.” One of the great lines from the movie is when Miracle Max says to Inigo and Fezzik, “Have fun storming the castle.” Storming Satan’s castle may not seem like much fun – not with all the mistreatments, persecutions, imprisonments, and deaths. But winning is always fun. And Christ has already assured us of the victory. St. Paul proclaimed: “He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57) The devil is defeated. Death is dead. Sin has been struck down. The gates of Hades will not overcome.
Go on the offensive. Have fun storming the gates of Hades.