England v Argentina: Live updates from the Fifa World Cup semi-final in Atlanta
Follow the action as England and Argentina square off for a place in the Fifa World Cup final.
Chance Argentina
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Another great save from Pickford to keep Mac Allister out.
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Argentina are working again looking to find some space through the English defence.
Changes
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England with a defensive move - Konsa in for Gordon.
Argentina make three changes - Molina, Simeone and Martinez all out. Otamendi, Montiel and De Paul enter
Three-quarter time
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I wonder if Argentina will look to bring Lautaro Martinez into the game soon. Another threat on goal certainly wouldn't hurt.
Chance Argentina
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Pickford reacts well to a header to push it away. It was pretty close to him, but a great chance for Argentina gone begging.
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The corner is cleared up field where Molina is waiting.
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England can live with this at the moment. They're going to make Argentina work hard to create a legitimate opportunity.
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Good ball over from Messi but it's cleared by the defence.
Argentina win another corner.
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Argentina get forward and win a corner.
Chance England
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England get forward again and Rice puts a shot on target.
It's easy pickings for Martinez.
64 minutes gone
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Leandro Paredes is replaced by Nico Gonzalez. Interesting move - Paredes has been one of Argentina's best today, but Gonzalez brings a bit more speed into the attack.
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England defend the attack and hoof the ball forward. But they haven't got anyone ahead to chase it.
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Argentina get forward again - England have their entire squad behind the ball and clogging up the box now.
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Danger for England as Pickford spends far too much time with the ball at his feet and the Argentine press get forward to eventually steal it from a defender.
Messi had it in the box but probably took a touch too many and couldn't get a shot away.
Fernandez hits another one from distance and it sails over the bar.
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Another hopeful ball ahead from Argentina goes out for a goal kick.
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Spence gets to the ball ahead of Simeone and puts it out for a corner.
Great tackle Djed Spence
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This one should open up now as Argentina chanse goals.
GOAL ENGLAND
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Anthony Gordon.
England break from the back. It's a great ball from Rogers and Gordon beats his man at the back post.
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Goal kick for England as Paredes puts a heavy ball into the box.
52 mintues gone
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England get plenty of bodies in defence but Molina whips a dangerous cross in across the face of goal.
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Argentina have possession around halfway.
Yellow card - Cristian Romero
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And moments later he gets himself booked.
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The skill of Cristian Romero!
Under massive pressure from two England attackers, he shows great footwork to beat Kane and clear his line.
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Simeone gives possession away but Argentina win it back.
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England get up field and Spence gets a ball into the box, but he's got no one to aim at.
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The corner comes to nothing. England take over.
Chance Argentina
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We've had a shot on target!
Alvarez wins possession high in the English half, gets into the box and whips one toward the goal.
Pickford saves. It falls for Alvarez, who shoots again and wins a corner - seemed like a goal kick, but a corner is given.
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Argentina get possession quickly and have it in midfield.
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It doesn't appear either team have made changes at the break.
We're underway again
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England with the ball to start the half.
Winston Aldworth
Jamie Carragher on the Telegraph: "The one worry is [Lionel] Messi is just starting to take possession much more with some great touches. He hasn’t hurt England yet, though.
"A cagey half, which is to be expected given the stakes. I’ve been impressed with England. They’ve looked dangerous without creating any clear chances. Argentina have created nothing so far.
"What’s encouraging is England look like they belong out there, going head-to-head with the world champions, and Elliot Anderson has been outstanding.
"This has been the opposite of what the rest of the tournament has been for us. In previous matches there have been a lot of average performances and our two best players have shone. This time, England have played well as a collective while the two best players have been quiet. Bellingham and Kane might have their moment in the second half."
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With three total attempts at goal in the half - none on target - it's been very much a battle of possession through 45 minutes. Both of Argentina's shots have come from outside the box.
England have spent more time in Argentine territory but have struggled to find a way through into a proper attack position, with Argentina's best moments have been on the counterattack.
A lot of heavy challenges both ways, with only two cards brandished in the half - but I imagine we'll see a couple more in the second.
With the match well and truly in the balance, it's going to take a goal to really open it up. Exactly how that comes, it might take a moment of brilliance to break the deadlock.
HALFTIME - 0-0
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England complain as the referee blows the whistle just as the ball sails out for a corner.
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England get forward, but an offside ends the attack abruptly.
Three added minutes
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Surprisingly low number - that's just the hydration break minutes.
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England steal possession from an Argentine throw, but lose the ball in the tackle.
44 mintues gone
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We haven't heard much from Harry Kane or Lionel Messi so far today.
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Another free kick from England after a battle for possession in midfield.
Bellingham gets forward but it's a good challenge from Cristian Romero to win possession.
Yellow card - Lisandro Martinez
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England break the attack up and Rogers gets a free kick. Martinez with a bit of take foul there to kill the counter.
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Argentina get forward, looking to build something through the midfield.
38 minutes gone
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The game is opening up a bit now. Both teams with good chances in the last 10 minutes or so.
Chance Argentina!
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Enzo Fernandez with a great strike but it's just too high.
Yellow card - Elliot Anderson
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His challenge on Messi is punished. Fair enough.
Saved by Martinez
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James with a strong shot and Martinez does well to get it away.
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Free kick England. Molina brings Bellingham down just to the left of the box.
34 minutes gone
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England get forward again with a dangerous attack, but Argentina get back in numbers.
Chance England
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Declan Rice's ball in is a good one and John Stones is the first man there. The defender's header is off target though and Argentina take possession.
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Well played by Bellingham to win the ball in midfield, wax a defender and then get smoked by another defender.
England free kick just outside the box.
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A hopeful ball forward is far too heavy and England get a goal kick.
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Argentina win the ball back and are working forward from the back.
England get forward
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James has been active in a wing back role and earns a throw in well into Argentine territory.
Terrible touch
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Argentina pick off Pickford's goal kick and Alvarez tries to play it forward. It seemed he was trying to put it out for Fernandez, but some miscommunication as Messi though it might have been for him. With some spice on the pass, it goes out from a goal kick off Messi's boot.
27 minutes gone
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Argentina have had more possession so far, but it seems like they're playing mostly in their own half. A couple of promising counterattacks, but England have certainly looked more likely to create something.
That said, neither team had a shot in the opening quarter.
Quarter time
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Free kick England. Simeone trying to wrestle Pickford.
Simeone seems to have just been included in the squad to be a pest - he's already committed a few fouls and has come together with Pickford a couple of times.
Corner Argentina
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Simeone tries to get a ball across but Spence gets in the way.
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Free kick Argentina. Bellingham stomps on Mac Allister's foot after mistiming a tackle.
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Argentina working forward, trying to find a way into the box but the defence is strong.
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Free kick Argentina on the end of their own box - Rogers clatters into Tagliafico.
20 minutes gone
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Argentina get into the England box, but the offside flag kills the attack.
Chance England
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Reece James gets forward and plays the ball across into the box, forcing Martinez to come out and break it up.
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England in possession again, working forward on the right wing.
17 minutes gone
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England continue to work in Argentine territory but the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
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Again, England win possession in their own half.
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England intercept, but a strong tackle from Paredes wins the ball back.
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England get bodies behind the ball and Argentina will try and build their attack from a throw-in at the corner.
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England get forward but can't get a shot away. Argentina now go on the counter.
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England play out from the back, and a good ball goes forward.
Offside
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Messi plays a ball forward for Simeone, who is well offside.
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Back to action, with Argentina play out from the back again.
11 minutes gone
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A couple of bodies on the ground and we've got a delay in play as the referee tells a few blokes off.
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Martinez plays it out from the back. England get to the ball first but the headed effort goes out.
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Now it's another free kick to Argentina deep in their own half.
Seems like every time a team turns the ball over, they're committing a foul to slow things down.
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Argentina try to play it up the park. England break the attack up and get another free kick.
8 minutes gone
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Another free kick to Argentina - Tagliafico brought down by James.
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Free kick to Argentina deep in their own half, which relieves all the pressure.
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Argentina clear it.
Corner England
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Good run from Rogers and he earns the first corner of the game.
6 minutes gone
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Free kick England as Giuliano Simeone commits a foul.
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James loses possession in his own half, but England do well to get it back.
And then play it out. Argentina take the throw in but go backwards, looking to build an attack from the back.
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Dangerous attack from England, but it's broken up just outside the Argentina box.
Four minutes gone
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Argentina under pressure in the midfield and lose possession.
A bit of frustration there as Elliott Anderson is brought down and the two teams come together. Argentina wanted a foul against Messi, didn't get one, so Enzo Fernandez went through Anderson.
No cards yet, but I think we'll see some today.
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The free kick is play up the field and Argentina get the ball back.
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Foul - Jude Bellingham brought down by Alexis Mac Allister. Pretty clear foul in the England half.
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Early turnover as England force Argentina to play the ball out - to a huge cheer from the crowd.
Kickoff
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We're underway with Argentina taking possession.
A few predictions from NZME Towers
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We've got a 2-0 England, 3-1 England, 3-1 Argentina and a 2-1 Argentina.
Really playing into the 50-50 nature of this one. I do think both teams are going to score though.
Very pro-England crowd by the sound of things
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They sung the national anthem so loud you couldn't hear the music on TV.
Now they're booing Argentina. Though, it sounds like there's a good amount of crowd support for the Argentinians, but more for England.
We're not far from kickoff now
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The teams are making their way out of the tunnel.
Last call for predictions on the poll
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Former England defender cum Telegraph pundit Jamie Carragher reckons Djed Spence is the right man to take on Lionel Messi.
"The team will shock a few people because of Djed Spence’s inclusion. What I like about Thomas Tuchel’s approach is that keeping the same team would be a much easier decision, particularly in a game of this magnitude.
"The manager is consistent in selecting players for specialist roles. Just as he called up Dan Burn in case England needed to revert to a back five (as they did against Mexico), the reason he likes Spence is for situations requiring one-on-one defending. Tuchel clearly believes Spence’s pace is a vital attribute in this situation, even if facing Lionel Messi is the ultimate challenge. This is the whole point of Spence being in the squad. If England win, the same logic would suggest he would be asked to mark Lamine Yamal in the final."
What English media are saying
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Over at the Daily Telegraph UK, sportswriter Mike McGrath has spotted a possible Beckham-related flashpoint:
"Lionel Scaloni has given a nod to the historic rivalry of this fixture by picking Diego Simeone’s son in his starting line-up. Giuliano Simeone is given his first appearance since the final group stage match against Jordan, when Argentina had already sealed a place in the knockouts. His father was famously on the end of David Beckham’s boot 28 years ago in Saint-Étienne. This just adds to the feeling there will be some flashpoint in the next few hours in Atlanta."
The last time they met
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As two of the world's top footballing nations, it's a little bit of a surprise that England and Argentina have not met that often. Sure, their nations might be so fond of each other after the Falklands War, but it's quite surprising they haven't played against each other in more than 20 years.
They last met in a friendly in 2005 which England won 3-2 with Wayne Rooney (2) and Michael Owen the goal scorers for England, and Hernan Crespo and Walter Samuel the Argentinian goal scorers.
Lionel Messi has never played against England.
Argentina starting XI
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Argentina: Emiliano Martinez (GK). Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico. Giuliano Simeone, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez. Julian Alvarez, Lionel Messi.
Argentina move to a 4-4-2 after running a 4-1-3-2 against Switzerland. Giuliano Simeone starting in place of Rodrigo De Paul in the midfield is the only personnel change in the XI.
England starting XI
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England: Jordan Pickford (GK). Reece James, John Stones, Marc Guehi, Djed Spence. Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson. Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon. Harry Kane.
England stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, but make a few changes. Djed Spence, Reece James and Morgan Rogers join the starting side, in place of Nico O'Reilly, Ezri Konsa and Noni Madueke.
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Miss the first semi-final?
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You can find a handy recap here:
Hello and welcome
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We're getting closer to finding a champion of world football, with England and Argentina squaring off this morning for the right to play Spain in Monday morning's final.
Christopher Reive here at NZME Towers to bring you all the action as it unfolds.
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