There is no greater inevitability at a World Cup than Argentina, and the defending champions continue to find away again, and again, and again.
La Albiceleste are through to the Final, to be played against Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New York, thanks to two late second-half goals 6:24 apart to come back and shock England 2-1 in the semifinal of the World Cup on Wednesday evening in Atlanta.
Enzo Fernández’s super long strike in the 86th minute saved the Argentinians to cancel out Anthony Gordon’s 55th-minute opener, which had England on the precipice of its first World Cup Final since its only title in 1966. Six minutes later, in the second minute of stoppage time, substitute Lautaro Martinez capped off the comeback with an uncontested header to the left of the box.
So continues the international career of Lionel Messi, whose brilliance remains undimmed at the age of 39. The Argentinian legend assisted on both of his side’s goals.
It is the most dramatic result of what has been an exhausting campaign for Argentina in the United States, which went to extra time against Cape Verde in the Round of 32, then had to come from behind to beat both Egypt and Switzerland in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals.
Those who wanted to see world-class soccer had to wait, because the first half was nothing more than a physical slog that featured just one shot on target.
There were eight fouls in the first 12 minutes, 19 in total during the first half alone, as American referee Ismail Elfath had his hands full in policing a meeting between a pair of sides that genuinely loathe each other — and attempting to keep tempers cool.
The first shot attempt of the match did not come until the 33rd minute, when a glancing header from John Stones off a Declan Rice free kick floated harmlessly wide of the right post.
Reece James coaxed some action from a keeper, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, three minutes later, with a curling free-kick effort from 25 yards out was beaten away. Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez had a long-range effort that singed inches over the crossbar.
Argentina began to squeeze the game to start the second half, and, with limited possession, England striker Harry Kane dropped deep in an attempt to open things up for his side.
It worked.
In the 55th minute, Kane played a ball well inside the England half long for Declan Rice. Initially deflected by an Argentinian defender, Morgan Rogers followed the play down the right wing to ensure the counter continued seamlessly. His cross to Gordon was perfect, and the soon-to-be Barcelona man finished with a right foot inside the left post, leaving Martinez no chance.
From there, England went into a lower defensive block, and Argentinian pressure mounted. It was a tactic that Thomas Tuchel was forced to use when playing down a man for the final half-hour of the Round of 16 win over Mexico at the Azteca Stadium.
Jordan Pickford made a miraculous save on a Nicolas Gonzalez header off a Messi cross in the 69th minute to keep England ahead, denying the Argentinian sub from six yards away with an instinctual lunge to his right to beat the chance away with his right hand.
Alexis Mac Allister came tantalizingly close in the 75th minute when his header left Pickford rooted to his spot, but it clanged off the left post and stayed out. One minute later, another header of his was right at the grateful England keeper. A minute later, Gonzalez got on the end of a lofted ball at the left post, but could only flash it across the face of goal.
The dam finally broke in the 86th minute when Fernandez bent a right-footed showstopper from 25 yards out past the outstretched Pickford and into the left side of the goal.
Messi recorded his second assist in six minutes in the second minute of stoppage time to break English hearts, sending a picture-perfect cross to Lautaro Martinez, who finished into an open net just seconds after Mac Allister hit the post.
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