By Lori Ewing
ATLANTA, July 16 (Reuters) - The dream died on a summer night, as it has so many times before, not with a bang but with the familiar aching silence that settles over England after the final whistle of a World Cup defeat.
England's dream of reaching a first World Cup final since 1966 was shattered as holders Argentina scored twice in the closing stages to snatch a 2-1 semi-final victory on Wednesday.
The players sank to the grass. Their supporters stood frozen in the stands, scarves draped
around shoulders that had carried expectation for a month.
And so England's latest pursuit of the one prize that continues to define their footballing identity came to an end -- not in triumph, but in the cruel space between possibility and achievement. Again.
England must now regroup for Saturday's third-place match against France in Miami.
There will inevitably be pointed questions for coach Thomas Tuchel after England retreated deeper and deeper following Anthony Gordon's opener, surrendering the initiative and ultimately seeing Argentina punish them with two late goals.
"We have crumbled," former England captain Wayne Rooney told the BBC. "It started from the manager and the decisions he made. It was too passive.
"Against this team, the world champions, you will not get away with it. This has been the biggest test and we have failed it."
Tuchel, who has signed a contract extension through to Euro 2028, said he remains committed to leading England, and reminded reporters that the tournament is not over.
"There is still a game to play, even if it is not one we wanted to be involved in," he said.
"After that, we move forward. I am under contract through to the home Euros in 2028 and, despite the disappointment we feel now, I am already looking ahead to that challenge."
This version of England's dream had felt different.
Fuelled by Harry Kane's relentless leadership and the brilliance of Jude Bellingham, England gave their supporters reason to believe.
The performances were not always polished. A couple of scrappy victories demanded more grit than glamour, and at times the path forward looked anything but certain.
But rather than undermining confidence, those hard-fought wins seemed to strengthen it.
Because England kept finding a way.
Kane provided the calm and the sense that the occasion would never overwhelm him, while Bellingham supplied the energy, and together they accounted for 12 goals -- six apiece.
Then came the tests.
The draining 10-man battle with Mexico at altitude in Mexico City in the round of 16 revealed something deeper than talent. England showed resilience. They absorbed pressure, responded to setbacks and emerged with the conviction of a team that believed they could survive anything.
Again and again, the players spoke about the togetherness of the squad, the trust they had built and the willingness to fight for one another.
For a nation conditioned to expect disappointment, there was something powerfully persuasive about that togetherness, and for a while it felt as though England were building something irresistible.
Instead, they have now suffered semi-final heartbreak in two of their last three World Cups, squandering a lead on both occasions.
When the final whistle sounded, Bellingham's face crumpled in tears.
"It is so gutting, I wanted to be part of an England squad that finally done it, that finally got it over the line and to be here telling the fans unfortunately the same things they've probably heard for years and years," Bellingham said, his baseball cap pulled down low over his eyes.
"I wish I could give one more win or two more wins ... but at the moment the head's a bit fuzzy with disappointment."
Bellingham was not part of the England team eliminated in the semis by Croatia in 2018, but played in the loss to Spain in the 2024 Euro final.
For all the progress England have made in recent years, and for all the belief this squad carried into the tournament, the outcome felt painfully familiar.
World Cups are not won simply because a team believes. And even with Kane and Bellingham inspiring the charge, and with resilience forged through struggle and a bond that seemed unbreakable, England discovered once more how great the distance can be between hope and history.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
