Argentina's Lionel Messi celebrates after teammate Enzo Fernandez scored against England in Atlanta on Wednesday. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press)
It's a World Cup semifinal for the ages, and Lionel Messi has etched his name in history once again. The Argentine captain set up a pair of game-changing goals in a seven-minute span to lift his team to a 2-1 win over England, sending them to the World Cup final against Spain.
Argentina's Lautaro Martinez scored the winning goal two minutes into stoppage time, but it was Messi's magic that turned the game around. The 11-time World Cup assist leader found Fernández in space at the top of the box, earning him his record 11th World Cup assist. The pass just cleared the leaping John Stones, then dipped to Martínez, who nodded it home.
The Argentine team's resilience in the face of adversity has been a hallmark of their campaign. They trailed in the 80th minute or later in two of their last three knockout games, only to rally both times. And Messi has been at the forefront of these comebacks, scoring or assisting on three of the four goals that rescued Argentina. "This group, in the face of adversity, keeps going, keeps going, and never gets tired," Martínez said. "And we have the best in the world as our example."
England, on the other hand, seemed to turn conservative after taking the lead, dropping all 11 players behind the ball at times. Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said, "The opponent doubted themselves. We smelt blood and went for it. We all felt it." The tie didn't last for long, as Messi threaded a perfect cross from the right wing to Martínez, who found space between English defenders John Stones and Ezri Konsa at the far post. The sellout crowd at Atlanta's massive Mercedes-Benz Stadium erupted when the ball hit the net.
Argentina's trip to the World Cup final marks their back-to-back trips to the final, giving them a chance to become the first repeat champion in the men's tournament since Brazil in 1962. With a win over Spain, Messi can join another elite group of men: those who have won back-to-back World Cup titles. History will eventually decide if it was Messi's brilliance or the tactical surrender of England coach Thomas Tuchel that truly turned the game around. Tuchel said, "We played the matches how they were. We overcame every obstacle. We were very, very close today. It's not a moment now to analyze the full tournament because we lost a crucial match."
Source: Yahoo Sports
