The inside story of how England's World Cup unravelled

The inside story of how England’s World Cup unravelled centers on claims that off-field issues compounded tactical and execution problems during the run to the semifinal. The piece argues that manager Thomas Tuchel, hired to add a “second star” to England’s kit, instead oversaw a painful semifinal defeat to world champions Argentina, described as being “weeks in the making.” It cites an alleged power outage at England’s Kansas City team base three days before the Argentina match and says lights went out during the final half-hour in Atlanta. It also points to logistical and preparation concerns, including sunburn for Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, uncertainty over whether a Tampa warm-up stadium had a roof, and a robbery at Swope Soccer Village before any ball was kicked.