Soccer: Crunch time for England and Argentina

SAPPORO - World Cup favourites Argentina renew their bitter rivalry with England under the Sapporo Dome tonight in the feature match of the tournament so far.

Victory would guarantee Argentina a place in the next round after their 1-0 defeat of Nigeria on Sunday.

Defeat for England, who drew 1-1 with Sweden, would consign them to a desperate fight for survival against the Nigerians in their last group F match.

But the match is about far more than points, far more than soccer 20 years after the two countries went to war over the Falkland Islands.

England are determined to avenge two successive cup defeats by the Argentines, featuring hugely controversial contributions by two of the biggest names in soccer, Diego Maradona and David Beckham.

In St Etienne four years ago, Beckham - now the England captain - was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone and England were beaten in a penalty shoot-out.

In the 1986 quarter-final, Maradona's "Hand of God" goal put his team ahead before his astonishing second goal, voted the best in cup history, put the game beyond England's reach.

Players on each side will be renewing their acquaintance from the second-round match in France that remained locked at 2-2 after extra time.

Simeone and Beckham will once more line up in midfield while Michael Owen - scorer of a sensational goal in St Etienne at the age of 18 - and Gabriel Batistuta will again lead the two attacks.

Argentina captain Roberto Ayala, another veteran of the 1998 clash, is not being risked after sustaining a thigh injury warming up before the Nigeria match.

Argentina are expected to make one change from the game in Ibaraki, with Kily Gonzalez stepping in on the left wing for Claudio Lopez.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa has tried to shield his players from all the publicity surrounding the game.

"We'll prepare for this match like we do for any other," he said. "I respect England for their players, their collective presence and the team's management."

Batistuta, who now has 10 World Cup goals and is chasing Gerd Mueller's career record of 14, also said it was just another important match.

"I don't have any special feelings for the England game," he said. "I have nothing against the English people.

"It won't be easy at all. The English haven't just come out here to have a good time. They also want to get to the final."

England are likely to drop striker Darius Vassell, one of their best players against Sweden, to make room on the left side of midfield for Kieron Dyer, who has recovered from a knee injury and came on as a substitute against Sweden.

Dyer's return to a midfield overrun by Sweden will allow Emile Heskey to link with Owen up front.

The experienced Nicky Butt should replace 21-year-old Owen Hargreaves, joining his Manchester United team-mates David Beckham and Paul Scholes against a midfield directed by another club colleague, Juan Sebastian Veron, who captains Argentina in Ayala's absence.

Beckham, who has just recovered from a broken foot, is expected to last 90 minutes after playing for 63 against Sweden.

Simeone and David Seaman will set a record as the only players to take part in four Argentina v England matches.

Simeone, 32, the archetypal battling Argentine midfielder, has the spirit to drive his team forward in the toughest of circumstances.

Seaman, who has brushed aside his rivals to retain his place as England's first-choice goalkeeper, is a quiet 38-year-old with a distinctive pony-tailed hairstyle.

There are several parallels in the careers of the two players, starting with the fact that they made their international debuts in 1988.

The two first came face-to-face at Wembley in 1991. Graham Taylor's England went two goals up, but Argentina fought back to draw 2-2.

Following their second meeting at the 1998 World Cup, they were again on opposite sides in the 0-0 draw in a Wembley friendly in February 2000, the last match between the two countries.

Probable teams:

Argentina: Pablo Cavallero; Mauricio Pochettino, Walter Samuel, Diego Placente; Javier Zanetti, Diego Simeone, Juan Sebastian Veron, Juan Pablo Sorin; Ariel Ortega, Gabriel Batistuta, Kily Gonzalez

England: David Seaman; Danny Mills, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole; David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Kieron Dyer; Michael Owen, Emile Heskey.

- REUTERS

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