Alvarez stunner sends Argentina past Switzerland and into an England semi-final

Argentina are into the World Cup semi-finals, and they had to earn it the hard way. A Switzerland side written off as underdogs dragged the holders to extra time in Kansas City before Julian Alvarez settled it with a strike from 25 yards, the pick of a 3-1 win that ran into Sunday morning in India. Lautaro Martinez added a fourth-minute-of-stoppage-time third to make the scoreline flatter than the contest, and Lionel Scaloni’s team now have a semi-final against England to look forward to.

A fast start, then a scare

Argentina looked in control early. Inside ten minutes Lionel Messi swung in a corner and picked out Alexis Mac Allister, who rose unmarked to head the champions in front. The crowd of just over 69,000 at Arrowhead Stadium had barely settled.

Switzerland had other ideas. They grew into the game and levelled on 67 minutes when Dan Ndoye finished off a spell of sustained pressure, punishing an Argentina side that had gone flat after the break. For a stretch it was the Swiss who looked the likelier winners.

The swing came five minutes later, and it was contentious. Breel Embolo was shown a second yellow for simulation after a VAR review, a call the Swiss furiously disputed, and they were down to ten men for the closing stages and all of extra time. Even a man light they refused to fold in normal time, and the tie went to the extra half hour still level at 1-1.

Alvarez lights it up

Alvarez had been quiet for much of the night. He needed one moment. On 112 minutes he found space 25 yards out and curled a shot into the top corner, a finish good enough to decide any knockout tie and one Switzerland’s tired defence could do nothing about. Lautaro then made sure of it in the final seconds of extra time, applying the touch that put the result beyond doubt in the 121st minute.

Messi, playing what may be his final World Cup, did not get on the scoresheet but ran the important moments. The assist for the opener was his, and he kept probing when the game grew stretched in extra time. At 39 he is no longer covering every blade of grass, yet Argentina still funnel their best chances through him.

England await

The reward is a heavyweight semi-final. Argentina meet England in Atlanta on Wednesday, the first competitive match between the two nations in 24 years, since their group-stage meeting at the 2002 World Cup. England arrived at the last four by beating Norway, and the history between these teams needs no introduction to anyone who has followed the World Cup across the decades.

Switzerland go home with credit. Playing more than 50 minutes a man down against the holders and taking them the distance is no small thing, but the tournament rolls on without them. Argentina, for all the nerves along the way, are two wins from another final.

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