After a first-half that was disrupted and devoid of much in the way of goalmouth action, things came alive in the second period. We took the lead through a well-worked goal from Gordon but couldn’t survive the relentless Argentinian pressure and lost to two well-taken goals.
BEFORE
I was expecting France to win the trophy so I was surprised at how comfortably Spain dealt with them yesterday evening. If we do manage to get through tonight's game, we now know the quality of what we'll be facing in the final but… one thing at a time. I haven't seen any of Argentina's highly contentious recent matches so I don't know what to make of the conspiracy theories but many people clearly think that we'll be up against more than just the players on the pitch. I'm pleased that we've got this far and I'm not counting on us getting much further but let's see what happens. At any rate, I'm sure it's going to be eventful. I'll be watching the game in the company of other members of the SAFCSA London Branch and the boss of the bar has kindly arranged for me to have a spot, though it may be standing only. Match prediction: 1-1 with Argentina winning on penalties.
I got to the bar at 7.30, much earlier than I thought I’d manage, and was pleased to see that the boss had put a sign on the front table ‘Reserved Ian Mole x1’. I checked the team-news and there were three changes from the side that started against Norway with James, Spence and Rogers coming in for Konsa, O’Reilly and Madueke. Argentina had made just one change with Simeone replacing De Paul. The bar wasn’t too full but there were plenty having a slurp outside in the sunshine who’d be coming in when the game started. There was some hearty singing from our players when the national anthem played and a few in the bar joined in. The Argentinian players and staff really belted theirs out.
THE GAME
The first free-kick went our way after just seventy-five seconds when Bellingham was fouled and a minute or so later Anderson was on the deck holding his neck. He was fouled again in the sixth minute, so it was clearly going to be a battle, as if we hadn’t known. We then won the first corner but it came to nothing for us. The game was being disrupted by fouls from both sides so there hadn’t been much flow in the opening stages but there was a moment of entertainment when Infantino’s face loomed onto the screen to be greeted by loud boos in the bar. I wonder if he’s available for pantomimes. Mick Jagger’s mush came on shortly after and he was cheered. He wasn’t even holding a copy of The Stones' new album so he missed a trick there.
Anyway, Spence was looking very lively down our left and if a goal was coming, I could see him creating it. In the twentieth we finally made Martinez in goal do a bit of work when he dived to grab a low cross from James. We conceded a free-kick in the twenty-third and it led to Argentina’s first corner. It ended in a free-kick to us and then we were into the first hydration break. I took the opportunity to have a hydration break of my own.
In the thirty-second Bellingham was fouled when he went on a jinky run down the left and from the free-kick at the left angle of their box Stones got a header on it as bodies tumbled all around but it was well off target. It was a goal-attempt at least. We soon won another free-kick even closer in and James’s shot was stopped by Martinez. Next thing Spence knocked Messi over and there was a lot of handbags resulting in a free-kick to them, which was narrowly wide, and the first yellow, which went to Anderson. I doubted if we’d have to wait long for the second. It was duly dished out to Lisandro Martinez for a spot of shirt-pulling. A yellow for shirt-pulling? Posh. Three minutes of added-time were announced but it remained goalless as the half-time whistle went. It had been a match devoid of much goalmouth action with both sides not allowing the other much space while the endless fouls broke up a lot of whatever flowing moves were produced.
As we kicked off again I hoped for better entertainment and of course a goal or two for us. ‘Sweet Caroline’ was playing over the p.a. – no cliché was unturned. I hadn’t heard any of the commentary so far so they might as well continue with some songs. Back on the pitch Pickford was forced into a save and then we conceded a corner so Argentina were restarting with a bang. We were soon up the other end and Spence put in a good low cross that was cleared for a throw. There was a yellow for Romero for s tight hug on Bellingham. There were more boos as Infantino reappeared. I think booing at him is becoming the equivalent of the Mexican wave – a guide to how dull a game is. Anyway, very soon things were anything but dull when we took the lead in the fifty-fifth. Rogers lobbed over a cross from our right and Gordon met it with a neat side-footed effort that steered the ball into the bottom-left corner out of the reach of Gonzalez. The bar went mental, of course. We had to weather a bit of a storm for five minutes or so but I hadn’t thought much of Argentina’s finishing so far and a shot from Fernandez that was well over typified that. Messi could change everything in a second no doubt. We continued to defend in depth and I didn’t fancy hanging on for over twenty-five minutes.
After the second hydration break we brought on Konsa for Gordon for some reason, perhaps he was injured, while Argentina also made three changes. We continued to fight a rearguard action and at least the time seemed to be slipping away fairly quickly. In the eighty-second we made two further changes, replacing James and Rice with Burn and O’Reilly. Argentina kept up the pressure and just after they’d hit our left post they equalized when Fernandez hit a great shot from just outside our box, giving Pickford little chance. The bloke right next to me applauded this and he was living dangerously. He seemed to be English but said that he was a Messi fan… One of the bar-staff later had a friendly word with him.
We battled on and then nine minutes of added-time were announced. I figured that was maybe better than thirty minutes of extra-time but very soon the picture changed dramatically when we went 2-1 down. A cross from Messi from our left was met in the box by Lautaro Martinez, who was barely challenged, and he headed powerfully into the net. We brought on Rashford and Toney for Spence and Stones with a few minutes left but we couldn’t come up with an equalizer despite a couple more added minutes and it ended in a 2-1 defeat. The bar soon emptied in a decidedly meek way and that was that.
ENGLAND V ARGENTINA
ENGLAND V ARGENTINA
REPLACING THE DEPARTED
REPLACING THE DEPARTED
REPLACING THE DEPARTED
REPLACING THE DEPARTED