ATLANTA — Enzo Fernandez changed England’s weekend plans and Lautaro Martinez booked Argentina in the World Cup final with the game-winner seven minutes later in another dramatic comeback and 2-1 win for the defending world champs at Atlanta Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
Two possessions after he fired a rising missile deflected over the net by England keeper Jordan Pickford, Hernandez used a Lionel Messi assist for a replay of almost the same shot, but planted this one into the left corner of the net in the 85th minute. In the first two minutes of extra time, Martinez settled in front of Pickford at the left edge of the goal and headed a Messi pass by Pickford to cap a stirring rally.
The reigning World Cup champions, Argentina meet Spain on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., with a chance to claim a fourth title.
Messi has eight goals and four assists in this World Cup and a tournament-record 12 career assists after two on Wednesday.
For more than 80 minutes, all signs were pointing to England getting its first World Cup championship bid in decades.
With Argentina’s defense backpedaling, Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock in the 55th minute.
He tallied the game’s first goal on a brilliant assist from Morgan Rogers, who was fed by Declan Rice. Rogers recovered the ball outside the box right of the goal and found Gordon streaking ahead of defenders to deflect the pass with the side of his right foot for the score.
Moments later, England defender Djed Spence caught up to Giuliano Simeone, who had space and pace behind coverage on what would have been a clean shot from close range. The maligned Spence delivered one of the tackles of the tournament, covering significant distance to dislodge the ball inside the box.
Before a hydration break as the 70th minute approached, Pickford made his own bid for England’s gold star defensive play of the game. He got his right hand on a ball sailing for the right corner of the goal to make a deflection and diving save to his right, keeping the score 1-0. Only inches spared the Three Lions and Pickford from the equalizer courtesy of Alexis Mac Allister in the 76th minute when he met a cross from Rodrigo DePaul near the penalty spot but the shot cannoned off the right post.
Messi and Argentina also threatened late in the first half, first when Messi danced free of Harry Kane near midfield and drew a yellow card on midfielder Elliot Anderson. The possession nearly ended in a goal by Fernandez, who tallied the decisive quarterfinal goal to eliminate Egypt last week in the round of 16. His clean strike from outside the box whizzed over the top right corner of the bar in the 39th minute and the first half ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Neither team threatened a legitimate attempt in a physical opening 19 minutes highlighted by contested defense and restraint from referee Ismail Elfath, allowing grinding defense to turn into grass stains instead of scoring chances. Elfath helped separate England’s Jude Bellingham and Messi when the match opened with a no-call on a forearm from Fernandez to the back of Anderson’s head, one of multiple chest-thumping exchanges between the teams in the first half.
England missed three chances in the first half. The initial shot could’ve been confused for a pass. It came when right back Reece James one-touched a pass from Rogers and looked for his first score of the World Cup. His low, soft try from right of the penalty area was easily smothered at ankle height by Emiliano Martinez.
Before the late onslaught Messi, playing in his sixth World Cup and 206th international match for Argentina, had a clean look outside the box in the 83rd minute but pushed it wide left.
Argentina finished with 15 attempts on goal to five for England, which squares off with France in the third-place match in Miami on Saturday.
Spain can break a tie with Italy with a victory. La Roja carries a 37-match unbeaten streak — 30 wins, seven draws — into the championship match, vying to win the World Cup for the second time (2010).
