Argentina coach, Lionel Scaloni, stated his team sensed England had lost confidence after taking the lead in Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup semi-final match.
This came as he believed that the reigning champions used the momentum shift to secure a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory and a second straight participation in the final.
England took the lead through Anthony Gordon before Argentina equalised with a long-range shot from Enzo Fernández.
In stoppage time, Lautaro Martínez scored from Lionel Messi’s pass to secure the victory.
Speaking about the match, Scaloni said: “The opponent doubted themselves a bit. We smelled blood and went for it. We all felt it.”
He also stated that his players remained composed after conceding first, saying, “Yes, after England scored, we showed a lot about our football. It’s more than tactics and playing pretty football.”
Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez also stated that Argentina noticed England becoming increasingly defensive after taking the lead.
“We felt it. We felt them going backwards and backwards rather than going forward,” he said, adding, “Sometimes when you are winning, you have to go forward anyway. You can’t change the game plan. I think they did it, and they put extra defenders.”
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final against Spain, Scaloni hailed his team’s resilience, saying: “I’m lost for words. A great happiness for our country and our people… This shirt merits us giving absolutely everything possible until the very end.”
Chronicle NG reports that the defending champion Argentina will face off with the 2010 winners Spain on Sunday, while England and France will slug it out for the third place on Saturday.
