Late Fernandez and Martinez goals sink England as Argentina book World Cup final
ELATION: Argentina are through to the World Cup final in New Jersey, this Sunday, July 19.
We’d only find out later but there were still 15 minutes left. It didn’t matter. Not in this house which had already known the unstoppable magnetic force of Lionel Messi raging against a dying light.
As Enzo Fernandez wheeled off into a hive of Argentine navy blue, English bodies were strewn across Atlanta. Hands on knees, on hips, on heads. Jude Bellingham with his face in the grass. It was only 1-1 but the surrender had begun and was a one-way deal.
Its terms were signed by Thomas Tuchel.
England will never know what might have happened had their German manager held even a flicker of his nerve. Instead they will now debate a hydration break which will go down in infamy. With Anthony Gordon having put England within touching distance of a first final since 1966 and Argentina not mustering nearly enough, Tuchel opted for retreat. He camped his team far too deep, far too soon and it killed another English dream. Gone with the rest of them.
Messi and Argentina, not a side to give a helping hand to, will head to New York to face Spain on Sunday. The last image of England’s flawed campaign was all six of Tuchel’s defenders piled in the box and Messi’s whirling dervish of an injury-time cross evading them all and finding Lautaro Martinez’s free head. Atlanta became Albiceleste nirvana.
When the whistle went, England went up the other end. No Wonderwall this day. Don’t look back in anger? Don’t bet on it. Tuchel will surely be filleted. The surrender of Georgia.
This city has a rare gem in this World Cup which dragged us out through barren exurbs of America: a downtown stadium. It’s not just walkable but walking is mandatory. Which means mixing is too. Since Saturday night’s dual dramas set up this semi-final there’d been concerns about potential clashes between two sets of fan groups where one war reference could turns things instantly ugly.
At first mention of the Falklands at his press conference, Lionel Scaloni cut it off immediately. “No,” he said. “It’s a football match. End of.” What hadn’t been factored into original fears was fear itself. With a scorching sun at its highest point, fans streamed in and the air wasn’t filled with song or sourness but silence. It was a tension which spoke of all at stake here — almost everything.
The noise would arrive as kick-off came closer. We thought the Argentine hordes had done a good job of drowning out Neil Diamond until Englishmen began to sing about their king.
It was time for some football. Alas no one told the 22 who out there. And that suited most of us just fine. What to say about the first half? Well, adrenaline had a great 45. Its most prolific half in recent World Cup history. The ball was out there somewhere but it was mostly being used as something to carry into battle.
There was Enzo Fernandez clattering into Elliot Anderson, Djed Spence blurring by someone then prostrate, Declan Rice horsing one out of play only for Alexis Mac Allister to better him and fire two out. Argentines baited Bellingham for all they were worth. Giuliano Simeone was doing his father proud.
It was record-breaking in its rancidity. The first World Cup game since records began in 1966 not to see a shot taken in the first 30 minutes. There were too many ankles to be kicked and an unqualified referee letting it all happen. Ismail Elfath finally flashed yellow when Anderson crunched into Messi on 37 minutes. Fernandez finally flashed one over Jordan Pickford’s top corner soon after but they were back at it in an instant, Lisandro Martinez next in the book.
And you know what? It was utterly engrossing. The suffocating weight of what might happen when the fever broke — or perhaps penalties after a prolonged suffering — made the tension an almost physical thing.
Soon after the break, Julian Alvarez threatened to do so. But threats are not enough in such a scrap. England found the dagger and gouged the first wound.
On 55 minutes Kane had had the fewest touches of anyone on the field but came deep and arrowed a ball forward. Nicolas Tagliafico poked an acrobatic toe but only to Rice who laid it into Morgan Rogers’ path.
We weren’t sure if Tuchel had got his starting XI right in the first half due to the lack of usable evidence. Rogers was a big call and now he justified it. His whipped cross found Nahuel Molina lacking and Gordon lively. Never has such a deft finish sparked such a wholly uncoordinated detonation. The fever had broken and now eardrums burst.
If Argentina were stunned they didn’t show it, instead hurtling back down the other end. Incredibly, Simeone was in until Spence said he wasn’t producing a tackle and reaction to go top of montage-makers’ Christmas card list. How destructive it may have been to England to concede so rapidly and hand this house back to the champions. They would anyway.
In the seconds before what was sure to be the final hydration break of one team’s summer, Messi whipped a beauty on to Nicolas Gonzalez’s head. It produced a cracking save from Jordan Pickford.
Scaloni went for broke at the break and made a triple change. It felt secondary to the only pressing question: could Messi conjure another miracle?
Remarkably, Tuchel gave him the floor, bringing in another defender on 72 minutes to have England retreating in an instant. It felt premature. When Argentina reeled off five chances in as many minutes it felt a mistake. Mac Allister had to punish it with the best opening but he somehow crashed Rodrigo De Paul’s cross off a post.
The clock hit 82 and on came Dan Burn and Nico O’Reilly to give England six defenders. Within three minutes that was two too many.
Messi looked like he was walking. He wasn’t. He was prowling. With just five minutes left he lazed on the right, toyed with Spence and pulled in Anderson. That was enough. His layoff found Fernandez with enough room to touch and rifle. Now the fever was back and its pitch was an aural assault.
It wouldn’t let up. For England, the wailing and gnashing will soon begin.
Pickford; James, Stones, Guehi, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Rogers, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.
Konsa for Gordon (72), Burn for Rice (83), O’Reilly for James (83), Toney for Spence (90), Rashford for Stones (90).
E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Tagliafico; Paredes; Simeone, E Fernandez, Mac Allister; Messi, Alvarez.
Gonzalez for Paredes (64), Montiel for Molina (72), Otamendi for Martinez (72), De Paul for Simeone (72), Lautaro Martinez for Tagliafico (81).
Ismail Elfath (US)
68,239.
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