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GROUP F REVIEW
ARGENTINA 0-1 ENGLAND
England have rarely earned a harder three points. But David Beckham's 44th-minute penalty after a foul on Michael Owen by Mauricio Pochettino has kept England's World Cup dream very much alive.
It was true backs-to-the-wall stuff for the last 20 minutes, but Sven Goran Eriksson got the tactics spot on, and managed to coax world-class performances from his squad just a few days after such a disappointing showing against Sweden.
"It feels much better than it did four years ago. They've been a long four years. I was terrified taking the penalty. We battled really hard. The team have been absolutely brilliant for the whole 92 minutes," the relieved captain enthused.
Match ratings: Seaman 9; Mills 8, Ferdinand 9, Campbell 8, Ashley Cole 7; Beckham 8, Hargreaves (Sinclair 8), Butt 9, Scholes 9; Owen 8 (Bridge 7), Heskey 8 (Sheringham 7).
Minute-by-minute Commentary
90+2) FINAL WHISTLE BLOWS! ENGLAND HAVE BEATEN ARGENTINA!
90+1) Simeone crooses but it's overhit and time is surely running out for Argentina.
90) England playing with 11 players in their own half - and about nine in the penalty area. This is nerve-wracking stuff. Two minutes of injury time to go.
88) England win possession through Butt and Beckham tries to set Bridge scampering down the left, but his pass is read and it's back with Argentina.
85) Panic in the England defence - the ball rolls across the six yard box and Danny Mills clears - but Collina wrongly gives a corner. Sol Campbell gets up to head clear safely.
83) Long ball by Simeone and Lopez gets beyond the defence but Seaman is out rapidly to gather. Phew!
82) Zanetti wins a corner off Ashley Cole, but Walter Samuel is penalised for a push.
80) Aimar looks for Claudio Lopez round the back of Danny Mills but he's offside.
79) Aimar tees up Zanetti who shoots hopelessly over the bar. It's Michael Owen going off, which we assume means Sheringham will be playing up front by himself.
78) Wayne Bridge is getting readied for action. Will it be Beckham going off?
76) Ferdinand makes an important clearance right in front of Seaman, having played Zanetti on side for the cross. From the corner, Seaman makes a remarkable point-blank save to deny Pochettino.
73) Lopez wins a corner off Danny Mills - against Seaman gathers well on the edge of his six-yard box.
72) Eeeek! Aimar fires in a free-kick from 25 yards which Pochettino heads a yard wide of goal.
69) Campbell blocks Zanetti's cross int he panalty area. Argenbtina continue to press and Aimar wins a corner off Butt. Argentina pepper the England goal with crosses and Ferdinand heads two of them away - Seaman gathers the third impressively at his near post.
68) Pochettino clatters into Ashley Cole who is writhing in some discomfort. Beckham places the ball for the free-kick - Sheringham gets a back-header on it and it whistlkes JUST past the far post.
66) Aimar shoots over the bar after making a bit of space for himself. England playing quite deep at the moment.
65) Trevor Sinclair charges forward, cuts in from the left, and drives in on goal from 25 yards, which is gathered fairly comfortably by Cavallero at his near post.
64) Free kick to Argentina in a dangerous position - conceded by Butt for a high boot. Aimar touches it to Lopez but his shot is superbly blocked by Paul Scholes.
63) Gonzalez is going off and Claudio Lopez is coming on - it's their third and final substitution.
62) Nicky Butt is off the pitch - it looks like his boot has fallen apart - maybe he's having a plaster put on his foot.
61) Crespo penalised for a handball on the edge of the England area.
60) Ortega penalised for a push on Cole. A nice move down the left involving Scholes comes to nothing when Ashley Cole is given offside.
59) Crespo is coming on for Batistuta.
58) Sinclair sells Cole a bit short with a defensive pass, but Cole recovers well and wins a goal-kick off Ortega.
57) Sheringham's first touch is a 12-yard stunning volley but Cavellero palms it over the bar. Campbell wins the header from Beckham's corner.
56) Owen wriggles free after a long ball from Scholes but Samuel tidies up nicely.
55) England substitution. Heskey is limping and he's replaced by Teddy Sheringham.
54) Beckham races into the box, goes past Placente, but his attempted dink with the outside of his foot isn't on target.
52) Batistuta lets fly from 20 yards but his shot goes 21 yards high.
49) Scholes lets fly on the volley from 25 yards and it's an absolutely stunning strike - but straight at the keeper. The rebound falls to Heskey and he's offside. Collina harshly hands out a booking because Heskey didn't stop play immediately.
48) Batistuta swings acrooss in for Sorin but Seaman gathers well. Owen roars past Placente and shoots across the face of goal with only Cavallero to beat.
47) Butt goes in hard on Aimar and is lucky to escape a booking.
46) Aimar runs at the defence and curls a shot from 20 yards but it's straight at Seaman.
HT) Argentina make a half-time change. Pablo Aimar is coming on for Veron.
45+2) Cole concedes a corner after Batistuta intercepted a long-range shot from Gonzalez. But Ferdinand headed powerfully clear and the half-time whistle blows. England 1-0 Argentina.
45) Two minutes of added time will be played.
42) ENGLAND PENALTY! Pochettino fouls Owen. Beckham places the ball. HE SCORES! The crowd erupt. It was a pretty centrally-placed kick but Cavallero didn't move at all, bizzarely enough. Not that we're complaining though.
42) Gonzalez is back on - Ortega fouls Cole.
39) Kily Gonzalez has blood streaming from his nose after being caught by Beckham. He's off the pitch receiving treatment at the moment.
38) Ashley Cole has a decent chance to cross but his delivery is very poor - every England cross has been cut out by the first defender. England get a free-kick. This one from Beckham is OK - Sinclair dives in bravely, but Argentina clear.
35) Placente dallies in the penalty area under pressure from Heskey and then dives to win the free-kick.
32) Butt covering every blade of grass in midfield. He's been England's best player by a considerable distance so far.
31) Nicky Butt goes in high in midfield, but ends up missing the Argentinian and collides with Beckham. But the England skipper is OK.
29) Gonzalez volleys over the bar at the far post - after Zanetti crosses from the right.
27) Pochettino looks like he elbowed Sinclair in the ribs. Ashley Cole booked for a late foul on Ortega on the halfway line.
25) Sinclair beats two men on the left, but his cross is lame. It's cut out for a throw.
24) Batistuta steals in between Campbell and Cole and gets a free header on target - but Seaman is in the right place at the right time.
22) MICHAEL OWEN HITS THE POST! Cuts inside Samuel and unleashes a low shot from 12 yards - bounces off the inside of the post with Cavellero beaten.
20) Heskey wins possession in the centre circle, but Scholes's long ball is gathered by Cavallero.
19) Cavallero looks shaken but can continue.
17) Owen wins a corner but Owen Hargreaves is limping again. Rio Ferdinand collides with Cavallero from the corner. Trevor Sinclair is coming on for Owen Hargreaves.
15) Dirty Diego Simeone fouls Scholes on the left. Another BAD delivery by Beckham! Ashley Cole fouls Ortega and the England pressure subsides.
14) Batistuta penalised for an elbow on Beckham. Surely that should have been a second booking? Beckham shoots from 40 yards but again doesn't seem to kick it hard enough.
13) Samuel fouls Owen on the left hand side. But Beckham's delivery is too low.
12) Batistuta booked for a late tackle on Ashley Cole. The Argentina striker even cheekily suggested that Cole had dived - but he was caught full-blooded on the follow-through.
10) Veron attempts to float one in towards the far post, but he has totally overhit it. Free-kick to England in the centre circle after a foul on Scholes.
9) Danny Mills shot from 20 yards blocked by Gonzalez, after Scholes spread the play to the right.
8) Corner to Argentina off Ashley Cole. Veron takes but Samuel is penalised for pushing.
7) Kily Gonzalez fires across goal after a poor clearance by David Seaman. Worrying start for England.
5) Hargreaves standing on the side of the pitch but hobbling badly. Zanetti fires in a dipping shot from 20 yards but Seaman gathers safely. Hargreaves trying to run off his injury.
3) Owen Hargreaves gets a knock down by the corner flag. It's on the back of his knee.
2) Sorin gets a low cross in from the left but it's tame and Seaman gathers safely at his near post.
0) John Motson announces that Joe Cole limped out of training and is not among England's substitutes.
England: Seaman; Mills, Ferdinand, Campbell, Ashley Cole; Beckham, Hargreaves (Sinclair 18), Butt, Scholes; Owen (Bridge 79), Heskey (Sheringham 55).
Argentina: Cavallero; Pochettino, Samuel, Placente; Zanetti, Simeone, Veron (Aimar HT), Sorin; Ortega, Gonzalez; Batistuta (Crespo 59).
Bookings:
England: Cole 27, Heskey 49
Argentina: Batistuta 12