Anthony Gordon has still not made peace with the moment his number went up in Atlanta.
Six minutes earlier, meeting a Morgan Rogers cross, he had put England in front of the reigning world champions. On 71 minutes, Thomas Tuchel took him off for Ezri Konsa and switched to a back five, a call that Sky Sports argued was the hinge of the semi-final.
Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of Saturday’s Nations League opener, Gordon admitted the timing caught him off guard.
“I was (surprised), being totally honest. Only because I’d just scored, so I’m the type of player that, I’ve said before, I’m really good when I play off adrenaline,” he told the agency.
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He tried to describe what scoring does to him.
“When I score, I normally don’t have many bad games because I get into an untouchable mode of confidence.”
Argentina turn the tie in 21 minutes
England’s possession dropped to 7.2 per cent in the 21 minutes after Gordon left the pitch, according to the Sky Sports analysis, and Tuchel’s side failed to deliver a single cross in that spell. Enzo Fernandez levelled for Argentina in the 86th minute and Lautaro Martinez struck in stoppage time to send Lionel Scaloni’s team through. England lost 2-1.
Spain then beat Argentina 1-0 at MetLife Stadium to lift the trophy on 19 July, Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute against a side reduced to ten men.
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Asked by PA whether he will ever get over the semi-final defeat, Gordon was blunt.
“No, I don’t think so.”
What Barcelona has taught him about Spain
Gordon’s view of Saturday’s opponents has been rewritten since he joined Barcelona from Newcastle in a deal worth an initial €70m in May.
“It’s not in the English DNA and it’s probably something I’ve only realised to that extent from playing in Spain now,” he told PA of Spain’s ability to dictate matches on the ball.
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He put the gap down to how Spanish players are developed rather than anything a coach could drill in during an international window.
“It’s the way they’re built. I don’t know what it is, something that maybe we can’t ever put a name to, but they’re definitely built different.”
Spain’s first game since the MetLife final
The Nations League Group A3 opener kicks off at Wembley on Saturday 26 September at 7:45pm local time, the Football Association has confirmed. It is Spain’s first fixture since the World Cup final and England’s first since claiming bronze in North America. Croatia and Czechia complete the group.
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