Argentina Beats England 2-1 in Atlanta, Sets Up World Cup Final Against Spain

Argentina beat England 2-1 in Atlanta on Wednesday night, scoring twice in the last ten minutes to reach Sunday's World Cup final against Spain at MetLife Stadium, according to CBS News. Messi set up both late Argentina goals. England is out.

England took the lead in the 55th minute. Anthony Gordon chipped in a cross from Morgan Rogers to make it 1-0, according to both CBS News and The Guardian. For nearly 30 minutes, England looked like it might reach its first men's World Cup final since 1966.

Then Thomas Tuchel started subbing off attackers for defenders. Gordon came off in the 72nd minute for Ezri Konsa. Reece James and Declan Rice came off in the 82nd minute for Dan Burn and Nico O'Reilly, shifting England into a back-five, according to the Standard. The plan was to shut down Argentina's crosses and grind out the win.

Enzo Fernandez struck from outside the box in the 85th minute to level it at 1-1, assisted by Messi. Then, in stoppage time, substitute Lautaro Martinez headed home the winner off another Messi assist, according to CBS News and The Guardian.

Martinez said he called his shot before it happened. "I dreamed it, I swear. I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that I was going to score. I told him that I was going to come on and I was going to win it," Martinez said, according to CBS News. "I can tell you this team keeps showing what it's made of."

Tuchel Under Fire, Says No Regrets

Tuchel defended the defensive switch after the match. "I did also offensive substitutions in the last games, we just tried to help the players," he said, according to the Standard. "We conceded (a chance) straight away and we decided to go to a back five because the gaps were far too open."

Asked directly if he regretted the approach, Tuchel didn't budge. "I have to make a decision on the pitch," he told BBC Sport, according to the Standard. "I analysed the match and I did it a certain way so that's my responsibility. In the moment, no regrets."

The Guardian reported that pundits and fans criticized the substitutions immediately, calling the shift to three defenders and a 5-3-2 formation a panic move that invited pressure instead of relieving it. England had the lead and the game state to see it out, and instead sat back long enough for Argentina to find its rhythm. Tuchel's point about closing gaps had some merit, though whether a more aggressive approach would have held up against Messi and a front line that had just equalized twice before in this tournament is unclear.

Harry Kane, England's captain, put the blame on the collective approach rather than any one substitution. "Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try to hold on, which at this level is not enough," he told the BBC, according to The Guardian. "I'm just gutted for the boys, gutted for everyone, the team, the staff, the fans. We played a good game for the large majority of it."

Kane sits on six goals for the tournament, two behind Messi and Kylian Mbappe in the race for the Golden Boot, according to The Guardian. He'll get one more chance to add to that total when England plays France in Saturday's third-place match.

Messi's Last Dance, and a Banner That Could Cost Argentina

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni credited his team's mentality for the comeback. "We were under (pressure) a bit, but the opponent doubted themselves," he said, according to the Standard. "We smelt blood and went for it. We all felt it."

Messi, 39, is playing in his sixth World Cup, a mark matched only by Cristiano Ronaldo, according to CBS News. He's chasing a second straight title, something no country has managed since Brazil won back-to-back in 1958 and 1962. His eight goals remain tied for the tournament lead.

The Guardian reported that some Argentina players held up a banner reading "Las Malvinas son Argentinas" ("the Falkland Islands are Argentinian") during the postgame celebration, a reference to the 1982 war with the United Kingdom over the islands. The Guardian noted this could draw disciplinary action from FIFA, though as of Wednesday night no formal FIFA response had been reported.

Argentina now plays Spain on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, with Spain having beaten France 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the final, according to CBS News. FIFA may open proceedings over the banner. Messi's final World Cup appearance against Spain's defense remains to be seen heading into the weekend.