Argentina and England: up close and personal
June 7, 2002
They have only met four times in a FIFA World Cup™. Nevertheless, when England and Argentina square off on a football field you can expect a classic battle that is fiercely fought to the last whistle. But from where did such an intense rivalry grow? The two countries go back a long way and it all stems from two different concepts of how football should be played: The Europeans hold their heads high as founders of the ‘beautiful’ game and upholders of sportsmanship or Fair Play. For the South Americans, on the other hand, it is all about feverish passion which is manifested by their show of strength out on the pitch. From the ‘Animals’ tag of 1966 to David Beckham’s sending off in 1998, the legend is sure to continue...
Wembley 1966: “Animals!”
Azteca stadium, 1986: “The Hand of God” That goal – which the English have never forgotten or forgiven to this very day – was christened the “Hand of God” by its perpetrator. Notwithstanding the ‘illegality’ surrounding this first goal, nobody can forget the sheer brilliance of Maradona’s second, picking up the ball inside his own half and dribbling all before him before slotting past the hapless Shilton. With only a few minutes left on the clock, Gary Lineker (who was to finish the tournament’s top marksman) pulled a consolation goal. Carlos Bilardo’s men went on to win the FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 victory over West Germany.
Geoffroy Guichard stadium, 1998: “David Beckham sees red”
It was to prove a pulsating affair with no quarter given on both sides as the lead changed hands several times. Argentina (who were wearing their reserve kit just as they had done in Mexico ´86) took the lead with a penalty converted by Gabriel Batistuta, but the European outfit were to turn things dramatically round in a six-minute spell courtesy of Alan Shearer and Michael Owen efforts. However, Javier Zanetti was to level things up on the stroke of half-time. The match was not without the by now customary talking point as David Beckham was sent off after a bizarre incident having lashed out with his foot at Argentina’s midfield player Diego Simeone.
The two teams had to eventually be separated by a penalty shoot-out with the South Americans again coming out on top. Carlos Roa was in sensational form as Argentina won out 4-3. This time, however, the winning team did not go on to claim the biggest prize in international football, the FIFA World Cup.
FIFAworldcup.com
England were the host nation and one of the pre-tournament favourites to lift the Jules Rimet trophy. On 23 July they faced Argentina in a quarter-final match played in London. The ‘home’ side won by a single goal thanks
to a Geoff Hurst strike 10 minutes from time. However, the controversy began during the first-half when referee Rudolf Kreitlein gave Alberto Rattín – captain and talisman of the Argentinian side – his marching orders for protesting his innocence. The number 10 vehemently contested the referee’s decision for ten minutes pitch-side, and felt the full force of a stadium which was completely bathed in red from the turf right up to the royal box in which the Queen was sitting. Furthermore, to add even more fuel to an already ardent fire, he grabbed a corner flag decked out in national colours and ripped it out of the ground. This display was greeted by chants of “Animals, animals!” from the English fans. The team spearheaded by Bobby Charlton went on to be crowned world champions in a memorable final against West Germany.
With the shadow of the Falklands War (occupied by the British) still hovering in the background, the two teams were to lock horns a second time on 22 June 1986 in Mexico City in yet another quarter-final contest. Argentina, under the inspirational leadership of Diego Armando Maradona, managed to court yet more controversy in a 2-1 victory: the first goal scored by their aforementioned captain was handled into the net with Peter Shilton left to punch the air under the lenient gaze of the referee, Ali Bennaceur.
England manager Glenn Hoddle had been a player in that fateful 1986 match against Maradona and co. and now looked to even the score against the team coached by Daniel Alberto Passarella. This time the two international heavyweights played each other in a second round encounter in Saint-Etienne. So high were the feelings running prior to the match that the officials had to segregate both sets of fans with the Argentina faithful allocated seats behind one goal and the English fans seating behind the other.