Match Preview: England vs. Argentina - Atlanta gets the old argument
England and Argentina meet in Atlanta for the second World Cup semi-final, with Bellingham's surge running into Messi, Alvarez and Argentina's habit of surviving chaos.
England and Argentina do not need help feeling bigger than they are, but Atlanta is getting the version with a roof, tired legs, and two teams that keep needing one more dramatic intervention.
The line
FIFA lists Match 102 as England vs. Argentina at Atlanta Stadium, a World Cup semi-final with the winner moving on to Sunday's final. 1 Kickoff is Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. local in Atlanta, 3:00 p.m. ET and 12:00 p.m. PT. 2
England got here by surviving Norway 2-1 after extra time, with Jude Bellingham scoring twice in brutal Miami heat. 3 Argentina got here by beating Switzerland 3-1 after extra time, after Julian Alvarez finally broke a match that had been stuck for more than 100 minutes. 4
What swings it
The obvious poster is Messi against England. The actual hinge may be Bellingham against Argentina's concentration. ESPN noted Argentina have conceded five goals across their past three knockout matches, which is a strange way for the defending champions to live this close to the final. 4
England have their own problem: progress has been expensive. Declan Rice went off at halftime against Norway, and ESPN listed several England fitness concerns after that quarter-final. 3 The good news is Atlanta is indoors. The bad news is Argentina are very comfortable making a match ugly until one great player fixes it.
Verdict: England look more stable. Argentina look harder to kill. Argentina 2-1.
Quote of the Day
"England have the cleaner team right now. Argentina have the scarier habit: they keep looking finished, then someone remembers who they are." - editor's take
References
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- 2Mercedes-Benz Stadium event page
mercedesbenzstadium.com
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