The
victory sees them earn the right to defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago, booking a date with Spain in New Jersey on Monday morning (NZT).
Dramatic late winners have been the style for the defending champions in their tournament so far – though more of them have come in extra time – and it was Lautaro Martinez’s header in the second minute of added time that made the difference.
In hindsight, England will be left to rue the call to go defence-heavy after Anthony Gordon beat his man at the back post in the 55th minute to take the lead in a match that had been very cagey until that point.
The goal opened up the contest, forcing Argentina to hunt an equaliser. And they did, sending plenty of players forward in their endeavour holding England to just 12% possession between Gordon’s strike and the evenutal equaliser in the 85th minute.
They replaced defensive-minded midfielder Leandro Paredes with the attacking Nico Gonzales after 65 minutes, and kept probing on attack.
For the most part, England were up to the task, with a few good saves from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford keeping the sheet clean.
But as the clock wound down, England tried to protect their lead, adding the likes of defenders Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly from the bench and changing to a defensive formation.
That didn’t stop Argentina from hunting, and it was a wonderful long-range strike from Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute, just beyond the reach of Pickford, that brought them level.
From there, Argentina looked the more likely, given the chances they were creating and the number of attacking options they had on the field.
A pinpoint cross from Lionel Messi created the winning opportunity, finding the 1.74m Martinez for a free header in the box, which left Pickford no chance.
The intent was clear early from Argentina, who were quick to commit fouls when losing possession.
Coming into the contest, they made one change to the starting XI – Giuliano Simeone getting the start in midfield. It was just his second appearance in this World Cup, but his surname brings bad memories up for the English faithful after his father, Diego, famously drew a foul against David Beckham in the 1998 World Cup that saw the English star sent off.
Simeone was the key antagonist against England in the first half, making his presence felt with some heavy challenges.
With both sides enjoying a fair share of the ball in the opening stanza, England had the better of the play. They did have little to show for it, though as space to get shots away proved hard to find.
Neither side put a shot on target in the first half, with just three attempts between the two sides.
It seemed like it would take a moment of brilliance to break the tie and open the game up, and that moment came on a counterattack for the Three Lions.
The ball found Morgan Rogers on the right wing and his ball across the face of goal was met by Gordon, who easily got around his man to put his side in front.
With 35 minutes left in the contest, Argentina had plenty of time to work with and falling behind sparked them into action.
Ultimately, England could protect their lead and will play France in Miami on Sunday (NZT) in the bronze medal match.
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