Lionel Scaloni admitted he was left almost speechless after watching Argentina come from behind to beat England 2-1 in stoppage time and reach a second consecutive World Cup final, with the defending champions set to face Spain in New Jersey on Sunday.
Anthony Gordon had given England the lead ten minutes into the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on 15 July, but Argentina responded in dramatic fashion, with Enzo Fernandez levelling before Lautaro Martinez struck deep into stoppage time to complete the turnaround. Speaking afterwards, Scaloni struggled to find the words to describe what his players had achieved.
“I have no words. Enormous joy for our country, our people. I’m amazed. We’ll keep trying to win,” he said.
“It’s even difficult to talk. It’s hard for people to understand what our players are doing on the field. We are unique. It’s not arrogance. Just look at what they’re doing,” he added.
Scaloni pointed to a shift in momentum once England took the lead, describing how his side sensed an opportunity as the game wore on.
“We were under pressure a bit, but the opponent doubted themselves. We smelt blood and went for it. We all felt it. There was a vacuum inside their goal. The ball went in after hitting the post twice,” he said.
“After England scored we showed a lot about our football. It’s more than tactics and playing pretty football,” he added.
The Argentina coach pointed to the mentality of his squad as the defining factor behind another late escape, describing a team unwilling to accept defeat regardless of the circumstances.
“Our jersey is about giving it all. We won’t hold anything back on the field. We feel exactly what this fanbase feels,” he said.
Reflecting further on his players, Scaloni became visibly emotional as he praised the character of the group, including those introduced from the bench.
“The people of Argentina should celebrate being in a final. This group of players is difficult to describe in words. They are so special. I’m getting emotional. They fight for everything,” he said.
“We’re going to try to win the final. But what else does this team need to do? There isn’t much else to say. I’m eternally grateful to this group of players,” he added.
“The players who entered off the bench were so important. Going home knowing that they gave everything is what football is all about,” he continued.
Argentina’s celebrations were not without controversy, with Giovani Lo Celso and Nicolas Otamendi displaying a banner reading Las Malvinas son Argentinas on the pitch, a reference to the country’s ongoing sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, the British territory at the centre of the 1982 conflict between the two nations that claimed hundreds of lives.
Scaloni now stands one win away from a piece of footballing history. Should Argentina beat Spain in Sunday’s final, he would become only the second coach to win successive World Cup titles, matching the achievement of Italy’s Vittorio Pozzo, who led his country to back to back triumphs in 1934 and 1938. At 48, Scaloni would also become the youngest coach to win two World Cups, four years younger than Pozzo was when he completed the feat in 1938.
