Argentina once again got out of jail, breaking England hearts with two late goals handing the reigning champions a thrilling 2-1 World Cup semi-final victory in an unthinkable escape act in Atlanta.
Enzo Fernandez’s brilliant strike from outside the box equalised in the 85th minute before Lautaro Martinez’s free header from a superb Lionel Messi cross seven minutes later booked a blockbuster World Cup final date with Spain.
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It will be the first time the current European champions will face the current Copa America champions in a World Cup final as Argentina try to become the first country since Brazil in 1962 to be crowned back-to-back world champions.
Meanwhile, for England, heartbreak struck the Three Lions once again.
They are still yet to reach a World Cup final since their lone triumph in 1966.
Their defeat was also a recreation of their 2-1 semi-final loss to Croatia eight years ago when they scored first too.
“I’m just gutted. Gutted for the boys. Gutted for everyone the staff, the fans,” England captain Harry Kane told the BBC.
“We played a good game for the large majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up, we seemed to just hold on. At this level, it’s not enough.”
England became the latest victims of Argentina’s freakish ability to come back from the dead.
Messi’s men responded to two Cabo Verde equalisers to prevail in extra-time, came from two goals down to beat Egypt in regular time and responded to a Switzerland equaliser to get the job done in extra-time throughout the knockout stage.
This was simply their latest heist.
The opening half often resembled a scrap on the street more than a World Cup semi-final.
The 19 fouls blown by American referee Ismail Elfath in the first half were the most in an opening half this World Cup.
While neither team registered a shot in the opening half an hour, a first since records began in 1966.
For a match that was such a tussle, it suddenly opened up and flowed almost seamlessly for a few seconds in the lead-up to Anthony Gordon’s 55th minute goal.
Harry Kane played a long ball forward after pushing up the pitch.
Argentine fullback Nicolás Tagliafico failed to clear it effectively and the ball fell to the feet of Declan Rice, who played it out wide to Morgan Rogers.
The Aston Villa winger then repaid manager Thomas Tuchel’s faith in him – Rogers was one of three changes to the starting XI from the quarter-final win against Norway, preferred to Arsenal pair Noni Madueke and Bukayo Saka on the right wing.
Rogers then whipping an excellent cross into the box that found Gordon at the back post.
The 25-year-old, who recently joined Barcelona on a five-year deal from Newcastle for €80 million, showed why the Catalan giants valued him so highly with superb composure to caress what easily could have been an awkward ball into the bottom corner of the net.
Rogers’ Aston Villa teammate and Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had no chance of stopping it.
“This was the best moment for England and the worst because they stopped playing football after that,” former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng said on SBS
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Another big Tuchel starting call was justified moments later when Djed Spence completed one of the tackles of the tournament to deny Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area.
Spence ousted Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly as the starting left back and had to duel with Messi.
But that tackle was undoubtedly the Tottenham fullback’s finest moment, and it would have brought a smile to the face of the 25-year-old’s former manager Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian was the first coach to give Spence an extended run at Premier League level and allowed him to make a name for himself.
For the remainder of the match, Argentina kept pushing as England went back into their shells.
Tuchel played his cards in the 72nd minute by taking off goal scorer Gordon for defender Ezri Konsa.
Towering centre back Dan Burn, who was one of the heroes of the Round of 16 win at the Estadio Azteca against Mexico, replaced fullback Reece James, while O’Reilly came on for midfielder Declan Rice shortly after.
But England was unable to hang on for dear life this time around with more than half an hour proving to be too much time to repress the Argentine advances.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced an excellent save in the 69th minute to prevent an equaliser.
Messi whipped a fantastic ball into the England box, but the Everton shot stopper’s outstretched right glove down low kept out Nicolas Gonzalez’s header.
Gonzalez and Alexis Mac Alliser both teased the England goal with open headers that sailed wide and left the Argentines ruing golden chances to draw level.
While Pickford was again called into action when he was made to tip an Enzo Fernandez long-range rocket over the bar.
There was nothing Pickford could do moments later as another Fernandez strike from outside the box curled away from him into the far corner.
There were concerns that Messi may have been offside in the build-up when the ball was played back to him after taking a short corner, but the goal stood.
Pickford was again caught out with Martinez soared at the back post to score Argentina’s eight goal beyond the 75th minute this World Cup.
That attack again came from Messi’s flank with the Argentine legend whipping a superb ball into the box with his non-preferred right boot.
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