The first half was a street brawl. The second half was ballet with chainsaws. And in the end, the outcome was never really in doubt. As long as Leo Messi draws breath, Argentina will win.
With two late, heart-stopping goals, Argentina caught and passed England in the World Cup semifinal, winning 2-1 in yet another miraculous, come-from-behind triumph. Battered but still alive, Argentina now advances to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday. Whatever that match carries, it can't possibly be the emotional and physical fistfight that this one was.
Although they haven't met on the pitch in 21 years, and haven't faced each other in a knockout match since 1998, Argentina and England have a shared history of triumph and desolation, victories at one another's expense, ugly off-pitch incidents, and the still-raw memory of a 1982 war between the two. Both titles and pride are at stake when these two nations meet, and it's a toss-up as to which is more important.
Players and coaches sought to cool ever-more-fiery tempers before the game. "It's a football match; that's all there is to it," Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said, and his England counterpart, Thomas Tuchel, hit the same notes.
"The magnitude of the matches is just what it is," Tuchel said. "I think it does not help if we engage emotionally."
But Victoria Villarruel, Argentina's vice president, didn't abide by such pleasantries. In a Spanish-language X post the night before the match, she called England "usurping pirates," adding that "against the English, it's always something more. It's the Malvinas, it's Diego, it's Leo's last one, and it's putting the brakes on the invaders. Go Argentina! Because until our last breath, we're going to claim what's ours!"
Supporters of both squads massed outside Atlanta Stadium hours before the gates even opened. The official allocations were situated at opposite ends of the stadium with different entrances, and security was on high alert for what FIFA and law enforcement officials have called the highest-risk match of the entire World Cup.
Argentina fans, who far outnumbered England ones, spent the pre-match hours inside Atlanta Stadium chanting and cheering, whistling loud enough to drown out the chorus of "Sweet Caroline" and the entirety of "God Save the King" — but not, perhaps, loud enough to drown out their own dread.
Argentina flew close to the sun in every single one of its knockout round games, requiring either extra time or a dramatic last-minute comeback to advance out of each one. England had a tougher path, but fought ugly through both Mexico and Norway to reach Atlanta.
So would England's battle-hardened squad triumph? Or Argentina's miracles-on-demand crew? You could make an argument for both … and then the match began.
Matters got chippy within minutes, as both sides tangled, hit the pitch and screamed for official punishment. There were, of course, the usual theatrics, but there were plenty of collisions that could have drawn cards had the officials decided to keep a tight rein. As it was, the match often veered in the direction of a street fight, with bodies littering the pitch and indignation flying.
