World Cup Rematch Argentina 0 1 England Beckham s Revenge 2002 #football #england #argentina

From Ratan's strong-arm tactics to Maradona's hand of God to Owens' mastery, Beckham's petulance and shootout sorrow. The latest chapter of a fierce footballing rivalry stands before us. Who will this game be forever associated with? Argentina make one change to the side that beat Nigeria with Killy Gonzalez recalled to the team in place of Claudio Lopez. Juan Seba Verón of Manchester United keeps his place despite a niggling Achilles tendon injury. And he is one of four members of the Argentine squad that Sven-Joern Eriksson signed whilst he was coach at Lazio. Diego Simeone plays in midfield. David Beckham will be glad to renew his acquaintance. While Argentina's all-time leading scorer Gabriel Batistuta leads the line having scored the winner against Nigeria. England's solitary change to the side that was held by Sweden sees the reintroduction of Micky Butt who will anchor the midfield. But replaces Darius Vassell with Paul Scholes moving out to the left-hand side of the midfield quartet. Michael Owens score at that wonderful goal against Argentina in 1998. Partners Emil Heskey up front. Sven-Joern Eriksson yet to lose on foreign soil as English coach. That's a run that surely has to be continued here in Sapporo this evening. Here's Danny Mills. Further man for Sol Campbell fresh from scoring his first ever international goal against Sweden. Now Scholes. Pochettino. Simeone. Eriksson looking on nervously. He's the entire game plan going out the window in the opening moments of the game. Heskey goes down holding his face. No foul by Pochettino. England unable to regain possession with Butts. David Seaman makes the first save of the game. Here is Inter Milan's longest serving player and captain. Last scored an international goal against England in that famous game in San Etienne four years ago. Tracking back and finding David Seaman whose clearance was a bit flatter than he wanted. Back in from Virab. That is still inevitably the target. Sorin. That was close from Gilly Gonzalez. 12 months since his last international goal. Not as close actually as it first looked but Argentina with the best move of the game so far. Played forward by Samuel. Ashley Cole missed the initial challenge. Ariel Ortega. Cole recovered his ground well. What can he do with this corner? There's a push by Samuel. 12 minutes in which Argentina have had the majority of possession. They've certainly looked the livelier of the two sides. Much of England's work has been on the back foot. Helped forward by Ortega. Then by Virab. We have Ferdinand finding Ashley Cole. Who found the patastute and bundled him over. And this could be a yellow card. Patastute claiming that Ashley Cole died. Yeah, Luigi Colina. Coming a word with his fellow officials to get their eyewitness accounts. Having received them, Patastute receives the yellow card. With a score in that game in 1998 along with Zanetti. Aiming to become the first player ever to score three World Cup hat-tricks. Gabriel Patastute has already taken home match balls from matches against Greece and Jamaica in the past. Set pieces could be so important for England today. This their first of any real note. Sol Campbell amongst those forward. He was heading low and flat into a potentially dangerous area. Back in from Beckham with more elevation. Zanetti with a header away. This Patastute, a big one-knee whistle went. David Beckham thought it was against him. Hasn't had a touch of the ball inside the opening 15 minutes of the game. How much can David Beckham work him here? Great play by Hargreaves. Michael Owen, Ashley Cole outside him. Owen's pace gets him towards the byline and he's won a corner. In it comes from Beckham, very deep. Caballero came a long way to meet it and was impeded having punched the ball clear. Owen Hargreaves hasn't recovered from the early knot that he picked up in just the third or fourth minute of the game. Trevor Sinclair comes on to replace him. Zanetti. Well won back by Heskey. Nicky Buck trying to get Michael Owen here. Back off the post. And cleared to safety by Pochettino. Well there won't be any doubt about Michael Owen's ability. About his major attribute of pace. So unlucky he hasn't given England the lead. Veron. Gonzalez ball in for Patastute. Argentina's clearest opening of the game so far. Wonderful ball to find Sinclair. Oh he's away from Zanetti. And still Sinclair just lost balance at the vital moment. He's made an impression since coming off the bench. Veron to Zanetti. It would be a yellow card I would think for Ashley Cole. Well played by Zanetti dropping his shoulder getting past Ashley Cole. Zolcan but couldn't get there. Killy Gonzalez is fired over. Bielsa will be much happier with the quality of that move. If not quite the finish but he didn't miss by much. Much better attempt than his previous one. Here comes from Beckham. Back from Mills. David Beckham has given away the free kick this time. For the blood and evidence it was Gonzalez that got caught. Back for Michael Owen. But. Scholes. Heskey. Beckham brought down. Referee didn't agree. England still have it. Michael Owen. He's been brought down as a penalty. Foul by Pochettino. And England have a penalty and they have a chance to take the lead. And there wasn't much contact made. Well it was the low of his football career. Argentina in 1998. Can he score the goal that puts England ahead in 2002? Yes he can. Just look what it means to him. But look what it means to England. The fortunes in this group will be transformed if they can hold on to this lead. Went with brute force. Bit of a gamble. But England have scored. Beckham with his second World Cup goal. His seventh international goal. Halftime in Sapporo. David Beckham's 44th minute penalty. The difference between the two sides. Argentina have made a change. Pablo Aymar has come on for Juan Seva Varon. Pablo Aymar of Valencia. The man known as the little clown. More tack minded midfielder than the man he's replaced. And he is in possession now. Wearing 16. Takes a shot on target. Within 35 seconds of his arrival. Trying to turn. Until the finish. Heskey didn't need to flick it on this time. Rowin took it and with the defender Placente touch tied. He knew exactly how to roll it. Just couldn't hit the target. Here's Mills. Again looking for Rowin. Lost his footing and Samuel clears. Resulting shot back in from Heskey. Lovely strike from Scholes. Magnificent attempt from Scholes. Great technique. Plenty of movement on the ball. Might have their work cut out to get out of the group yet. Don't know what happens here. They might well find themselves leading the big Sweden. More of a qualified. So much confidence in possession. Chasing. And getting there. Here post. Placente looking ruffled and rattled. Beckham's desire got him there first. But couldn't scoop enough of his right foot around the ball. Far post. Rowin. Dinko making a run off the touchline for Paul Scholes. Showing up. What an introduction that would have been. Just dropped off and found a yard of space. It was venomously hit. High mark. Take off the toes of Gonzalez. Beckham. Looked for the free kick but he got it. Claudio Lopez. Went for David Seaman. Now Sinclair. Good strong running by Trevor Sinclair. Lacking in support. Had to go alone. Forces a save out of Cavallaro. But England are to have an extended run in the World Cup. Trevor Sinclair may well be a part of it. Because he has been superb. Lopez for Simeone. Back for Diego Simeone. And over the bar from Aymar. Well England are defending deeper now. As the game enters its final quarter. Huge bank of England supporters behind. Where David Beckham has taken this free kick. A little flick up was dangerous. And he wasn't too far away either. From the far post or Nicky Butt. Aymar. Zanetti. Danger for England here. Great block from Campbell. Zanetti. Soren at the near post. So too is David Seaman. Aymar taking control of this situation for Argentina. And he has six blue and white shirts to try and find inside the penalty area. He found one. But it goes wide. Pochettino. The player that was on the end of it. But it was only a glancing header. Aymar. And further down there again. What a save from Seaman. Walter Samuel. I think was the player. Who was denied. It could have been Pochettino. Nicky Butt back in the right place. Oh mistake. A stumble. Mills. Has even prevented the corner. Back in from Aymar. And. A wasted chance. England suffered in Mexico City at the hand of God. And suffered. At the hand of footballing fate in 1998. Zanetti and. They have beaten Argentina. For the first time in more than 20 years. And Argentina are left with work to do. It better get out of the group. David Beckham's penalty will have exercised the number of individual goals for him. The full time score. England 1. Argentina 0.