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England against Argentina to reach the World Cup Final.
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Almost two hundred years of turbulent and bloody history and fierce and bitter courtroom conflict unfolded over sixty years followed by drama, conflict and a sprinkling of magic.
It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of Wednesday’s meeting in Atlanta, which will be the first of its kind among the powerhouses in 21 years.
18-year-old Lionel Messi was suspended in the previous meeting, a friendly in Geneva in 2005, when England came from 2-1 down to win 3-2 late on. This time all eyes are on the World Cup goalscorer as he looks to lead the defending champions back to the final.
International soccer’s roots run deep. The first recorded game in Argentina was protested by British railway workers in 1867, and famous old clubs such as Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central were founded by foreigners, while the names River Plate and Boca Juniors adopted the language.
Argentina were only the second nation after Scotland to face England in the most international matches at Wembley Stadium, the hosts winning 2-1 in 1951. But the early bonhomie gave way to a bitter rivalry that has passed down the generations, with the current crop of Argentine fans still chanting for England at every World Cup stadium.
But where did all this begin? Let’s take a trip down memory lane to some of the greatest moments in their championship history:
1966 – England 1-0 Argentina
Their first World Cup meeting did not come in 1966.
That happened four years earlier in Chile, where England’s 3-1 group stage win in Rancagua was crucial in ensuring they progressed to the quarter-finals and destroyed Argentina on goal difference. The Three Lions however lost 3-1 to Brazil’s last eight winners.
Although that debate ended without a mishap, the same cannot be said of their meeting four years later.
Their quarter-final match at Wembley was dubbed El Robo Del Siglo (The Robbery of the Century) in Argentina as England won 1-0 after playing more than half a furious and aggressive game with 10 men, which had South American strikers claiming the match had been rigged by their teams.
Germany midfielder Rudolf Kreitlein was busy with a number of threats as Argentina’s slow pace disrupted England’s progress before the break.
Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was cautioned for bringing down a different Bobby Charlton and was cautioned for conceding less than three minutes later for complaining after his team-mate was cautioned not to go back 10 yards for another shot on the edge of the box.
The Argentines say things got lost in translation and Rattin refused to leave the field, saying he was asking for an interpreter. This led to an eight-minute delay and a huge meeting on the line, including FIFA liaison Ken Aston of England, who later introduced the idea of yellow and red cards in the late 1970s, instead of verbal warnings.
Rattin had to be led away by police and then, decked out in a United Kingdom flag, smashed a corner flag on his way before stepping onto the red carpet designed for Queen Elizabeth, angering the home crowd.
Rattin’s death at the age of 89 was announced on Saturday, just hours before Argentina beat Switzerland in which the players wore black armbands.
England committed 30 fouls in the match. When Geoff Hurst’s strike at right-back Roberto Ferreiro went unmarked, Hurst headed home the only goal of the game from Martin Peters’ cross, which the Argentines ruled to be offside.
After the usual whistle Ferreiro was confronted by the referee, who needed to be escorted from the field by the police. He was handed a three-match ban after ripping off an official’s shirt, while Ermindo Onega received another for spitting at FIFA Vice President Harry Cavan.
England manager Alf Ramsay rushed onto the field to prevent his players from exchanging shirts at the end of the game, as was the case in the past, and in a press conference after the game he called the Argentines “animals”.
1986 – England 1-2 Argentina
The nations played in friendly matches in 1974 and 1977, before a 3-1 win over England at Wembley in another friendly in 1980, when Diego Maradona faced England for the first time.
The second came in the 1986 quarterfinal, which was played in the Azteca cauldron in Mexico City, four years after the conflict between the countries escalated due to the dispute over the Falkland Islands, or ‘Las Malvinas’ as the Argentines call them. Their forces entered the British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic to begin hostilities 74 days before the surrender, and over 900 lives were lost on both sides.
Argentina took their revenge in Mexico City and got it in style and controversy.
Six minutes into the second half and the game scoreless, Maradona raced into the box to contest a diving ball and fired the ball past the onrushing Peter Shilton into the net.
Despite England’s opposition, the goal was allowed to stand and Maradona said it was the ‘Hand of God.’
Four minutes after the opening goal that will be known as the ‘Goal of the Century’, when Maradona took his role and began his incredible run through the England defence. He grabbed 11 times in 11 seconds and beat five men before fooling Shilton and firing home the final shot from the right of the box.
Gary Lineker pulled England back to the final with his sixth goal of the tournament, but, despite the finish, Argentina went on to lift their second World Cup.
1998 – England 2-2 Argentina (Argentina win 4-3 on penalties)
In 1991, Argentina visited England for the first time in 11 years and came from 2-0 down late in a friendly at Wembley.
Their next meeting came in St Etienne in the Round of 16 of the 1998 World Cup in France and boy, was it tough.
Gabriel Batistuta put Argentina in front after just seven minutes but teenager Michael Owen scored four minutes later as Alan Shearer equalised.
Owen then fired up midway through the half to turn the game on its head with a fine solo goal in the 17th minute, although Javier Zanetti made it 2-2 at half-time with a smart strike.
The game changed after the restart when England’s David Beckham was tackled by Diego Simeone midway through the game. The Argentine hit Beckham in the back of the head as he lay face down on the pitch and the Manchester United man then shot Simeone in the calf in retaliation. He tripped and Beckham received a red card from Danish referee Kim Milton-Nielsen, and the Englishman was mocked by the British media afterwards.
England battled with 10 men and thought they would win in stoppage time through Sol Campbell’s header, but it was said that there was no reason to go against goalkeeper Carlos Roa and Shearer in preparation. Argentina won 4-3 on penalties with Roa saving from Paul Ince and David Batty to send La Albiceleste through.
2002 – Argentina 0-1 England
A goalless draw at Wembley followed in 2000 before England and Beckham were given the opportunity to return to form at the 2002 World Cup.
The group meeting in Sapporo, Japan, was important as England played their opening match against Sweden and needed a win to boost their hopes.
Just before the break Owen was brought down in the box by Mauricio Pochettino and Beckham made a strong save to knock down the spot that followed.
Simeone and Beckham played the full 90 minutes this time, and even shook hands during the game, but England’s defense proved to be under pressure late on and went into the knockout stages, where Argentina went out of the group for the first and only time since 1962, when it started.
