Argentina 3-1 (AET) Switzerland: Julian Alvarez scores one of the goals of the World Cup to send the holders into the last four – where England wait
Argentina beat Switzerland in extra time with a stunning goal from Julian Alvarez
England face Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals after seeing off Switzerland in Kansas thanks to Julian Alvarez’s wonder strike.
The Three Lions came from behind to beat Norway thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, but it remains to be seen who will stand between them and a place in the World Cup final.
Argentina justified their big move in defeating Switzerland, with a mouth-watering clash in Atalanta scheduled for next week. The rivalry between England and Argentina goes beyond soccer, but there were some memorable World Cup encounters.
The last time the two sides met was in 2002, when David Beckham scored the winning goal from the penalty spot to defeat the South American side. It was four years after his infamous sending off at Saint-Etienne, which made him public enemy number one.
Argentina won on penalties that night, expelling Glenn Hoddle’s England from the tournament. And of course, who can forget 1986, when Diego Maradona scored two of the most iconic goals?
England have not been at their best this World Cup, with manager Thomas Tuchel praising their performance after Norway’s win, but Argentina have similarly been short of their best form.
Lionel Messi and co needed extra time to finally defeat Cape Verde, and it took a monumental comeback to beat Egypt, who were trailing 2-0 with 15 minutes left, in the last 16.
They also won against Switzerland in another highly controversial case. Alexis Mac Allister gave Argentina the lead at half-time and Dan Ndoye equalized for Switzerland. VAR intervened and Briel Embolo was sent off.
Jude Bellingham scores twice to seal England’s place in the last four (Image: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Still, Switzerland forced extra time and, after holding on for the first 20 minutes, Alvarez’s long-range shot sailed into the top corner of the goal, sealing their place in the last four. Lautaro Martinez scored in extra time to make the game safe.
England vs Argentina, to be played on Wednesday 15th July at 8pm, will be the first visit to Atalanta for both teams. The winner will face either Spain or France in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
There is a possibility that France and Argentina will meet in the final, but it would be a repeat of the spectacular event in Qatar four years ago. This will be the second time that the two countries will face each other in consecutive World Cup finals.
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