England vs Argentina: Greatest moments before FIFA World Cup semifinal
England against Argentina for a place in the World Cup Final. Do football matches get any bigger? Nearly two centuries of tangled and bloody history
England against Argentina for a place in the World Cup Final. Do football matches get any bigger? Nearly two centuries of tangled and bloody history and a fierce and bitter on-field rivalry forged over six decades and punctuated by drama, controversy and a sprinkling of magic. It’s hard to overstate the magnitude of Wednesday’s encounter in Atlanta, which will be the first of any kind between the perennial powerhouses in 21 years. An 18-year-old Lionel Messi was suspended for 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 will be on the World Cup’s record scorer as he seeks to lead the defending champions back to the final. The footballing roots between the nations run deep. The first recorded match in Argentina was contested by British railway workers in 1867, and famous old clubs such as Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central were founded by expatriates, while the names of River Plate and Boca Juniors were influenced by the language. Argentina was the second country after Scotland to face England in a full international at Wembley Stadium, the hosts winning 2-1 in 1951. But the early bonhomie gave way to a bitter rivalry which has been passed on through generations, with the current crop of Argentina fans still singing about England in the stands throughout this World Cup. But where did it all begin? Let’s take a trip down memory lane for the greatest moments in the history of their rivalry 1966 – England 1-0 Argentina Their first World Cup meeting did not actually come in 1966. That came four years earlier in Chile, where England’s 3-1 win in the group stage in Rancagua proved pivotal as it ensured they progressed to the quarterfinal at the expense of Argentina on goal difference. The Three Lions however went on to lose 3-1 to eventual winners Brazil in the last eight. While that encounter passed off without undue controversy, the same cannot be said of their meeting four years later. Their quarterfinal clash at Wembley was dubbed El Robo Del Siglo (The Robbery of the Century) in Argentina as England prevailed 1-0 after playing over half an ill-tempered and niggly match against 10 -men, which had South American conspiracy theorists claiming the tournament had been rigged against their sides.
German referee Rudolf Kreitlein was kept busy by a stream of fouls as Argentina’s slow pace disrupted England’s flow before things came to a head just before the half-hour. Argentina captain Antonio Rattin was cautioned for bringing down opposite number Bobby Charlton and was then cautioned for dissent less than three minutes later for complaining after a teammate was cautioned for not retreating 10 yards for another free-kick on the edge of the box. The Argentines claim things were lost in translation and Rattin refused to leave the field, reportedly asking for an interpreter. That led to an eight-minute delay and a summit on the touchline, including FIFA referee liaison Ken Aston from England, who subsequently pioneered the idea of yellow and red cards for the 1970 finals, rather than issuing verbal cautions. Rattin had to be led away by police officers and then, adorned with the flag of the United Kingdom, crumpled the corner flag on his way off before sitting on the red carpet intended for Queen Elizabeth, acts which upset the home crowd further. Rattin’s passing at the age of 89 was announced on Saturday, just hours before Argentina’s quarterfinal win over Switzerland when the players wore black armbands. England were by no means innocent in all this as they committed 30 fouls during the match. While Geoff Hurst’s lunge on right-back Roberto Ferreiro did not yield a caution, Hurst went on to head the only goal of the game from a Martin Peters cross, with the Argentines convinced he was offside. After the full-time whistle Ferreiro confronted the referee, who needed a police escort from the field. He was handed a three-game ban after ripping the official’s shirt, while Ermindo Onega received another for spitting at FIFA Vice President Harry Cavan. England manager Alf Ramsay ran onto the pitch to prevent his players swapping shirts at the end of the game, as was tradition, and in a media conference after the match branded the Argentines ‘animals.’ 1986 – England 1-2 Argentina The nations played spicy friendly draws in 1974 and 1977, before a 3-1 win for England at Wembley in another friendly in 1980, which saw Diego Maradona face England for the first time.
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