The Two Key Areas Where England vs. Argentina Will Ultimately Be Decided

In a World Cup semifinal like this, there's so much to unpack. I have already written about the historical, emotional and psychological aspects of England’s World Cup matchup against Argentina, so I want to dive into the tactical elements of this highly anticipated semifinal too. 

On paper, and based on what I have seen from both sides at this tournament thus far, the similarities are possibly stronger than the differences. And even though I think the journey for the Three Lions has been tougher (arguably a tougher group, a hostile, altitude-defying win against Mexico right before facing the heat and humidity of Miami amidst Erling Haaland’s Norway) the fact is that very little separates both of these sides. They are two giants of the game who have shown examples of their genius and their vulnerable state.

There’s also the overall record as England dominates in this area, having only lost twice from its 14 fixtures against Argentina. But one of those losses was in the dramatic match in 1986 to Diego Maradona’s "Hand of God" and his "Goal of the Century."  Then there was the 1998 result – which was David Beckham’s sending-off after kicking Diego Simeone – that ended as a draw after extra time, but resulted in an England loss after a penalty shootout.

The fact is that this one is hard to predict. It’s a contradiction due to a sense of familiarity due to the rivalry, but there's also detachment because they have not faced each other at the World Cup in 24 years.

Let’s also remember that England has never faced Lionel Messi – and that’s a statistic that lives within itself. To stop him is to gamble on your own fate, so I am not even attempting to tell you how Thomas Tuchel plans on doing the almost impossible, especially