You can have the Newsbeat regularly delivered to your mailbox so you never miss any news. This is a free service -- you can unsubscribe any time. Enter your email address and click the submit button; then confirm your subscription from your email.

Argentina rallies past England, and into the World Cup final against Spain

by

Defending champion Argentina is headed back to the FIFA World Cup final after a dramatic late comeback Wednesday, defeating England 2-1 in Atlanta to set up a championship showdown with Spain.

Trailing 1-0 with just minutes remaining, Argentina scored twice in the closing stages to stun England and keep alive its bid for another World Cup title.

England appeared poised to reach its first World Cup final since its lone championship in 1966 after Anthony Gordon broke the scoreless deadlock in the 55th minute. Declan Rice started the play with a through ball to Morgan Rogers, whose cross found Gordon at the back post for the opening goal.

But Argentina dominated possession and pressure late in the match, finally breaking through in the 85th minute when Lionel Messi found Enzo Fernández just outside the penalty area. Fernández blasted a shot into the corner of the net to level the score at 1-1.

The decisive moment came in second-half stoppage time. After Alexis Mac Allister’s shot struck the post, Messi collected the rebound and delivered a precise cross to substitute Lautaro Martínez, who headed home the winning goal in the 92nd minute.

Messi, 39, assisted on both Argentine goals in what is widely expected to be the final World Cup appearance of his legendary career. The victory moves the reigning champions one win away from successfully defending their title.

The semifinal added another memorable chapter to one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, with the two nations battling through a physical first half before the match opened up after halftime.

England struggled to regain control after taking the lead, allowing Argentina to launch wave after wave of attacks in the closing minutes. The Three Lions were left heartbroken after falling just short of their first appearance in a World Cup final in 60 years.

Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s championship match. Spain earned its place in the final by defeating France 2-0 in Tuesday’s semifinal.

The title match will feature two of the tournament’s strongest teams, with Argentina seeking back-to-back World Cup championships and Spain aiming to win its second World Cup, having earned its only other championship in 2010.

Source: Reuters

>