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SAPPORO, Japan (Ticker) -- David Beckham completed his torturous journey from goat to hero for England against Argentina. Obviously playing far from fully fit, Beckham converted a 44th-minute penalty kick and then England shut down the talented Argentine side to secure a 1-0 triumph in Group F. It was just four years ago that Beckham was sent off in England's second-round game against Argentina. Though the English team lost on penalty kicks, Beckham was the main target of blame from the press and fans, receiving a chorus of boos at many Premier League grounds the following season. "It's unbelievable," Beckham said. "It's been four years, it's been a long four years. It's been up and down, but this has topped it all off." Since being named England captain, Beckham has approached the level of national hero for his performances during England's successful qualification run. Playing a starring role in the win over the Argentines clinched personal redemption for Beckham. In a physical first half, which featured a combined 27 fouls, it was fitting that the lone goal resulted from an infraction in the penalty area. The reigning European Footballer of the Year, Michael Owen was chopped down by defender Mauricio Pochettino. Beckham then drove the spot kick straight down the middle, giving England a 1-0 halftime edge. "It was (difficult) because of the antics of the keeper telling me to put it one way and (midfielder Diego) Simeone coming to shake my hand," Beckham said. "But we've done well and worked really hard for this. The team was absolutely brilliant for the whole 92 minutes." Though Argentina kept up the offensive pressure throughout the match, earning a 9-3 edge in corner kicks in the process, England received stellar defensive efforts from midfielder Nicky Butt, who disrupted Argentina's attacking moves throughout the match, and the often-criticized back four. "There were certainly conditions in the match to tie. We did everything to obtain that result," Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa said. "The second half was somewhat better than the first. And in the first, after that decisive moment (the penalty), I still thought that we had the chance to come back." Nicknamed the "Group of Death" as soon as the draw was unveiled in December, this first-round group, which also includes Sweden and Nigeria, certainly has lived up to its billing. With the Scandinavians beating the "Super Eagles" earlier Friday, that leaves Sweden and England with four points apiece and group favorite Argentina with three points to fight for the two berths into the second round. Beckham's success is all the more remarkable because he broke a bone in his left foot in Manchester United's Champions League quarterfinal against Deportivo Coruna in April. That left his participation in the 2002 World Cup in jeopardy. A finalist for the 2001 FIFA World Player of the Year award, Beckham is arguably the world's best free-kick specialist and supplier of crosses, making him irreplaceable for England. Though he assisted on Sol Campbell's first-half goal in Sunday's 1-1 draw with Sweden in the team's opening Group F match, Beckham was replaced in the 63rd minute, sparking renewed concerns about his foot, which seemed to be confirmed on Friday. In the opening half, right back Danny Mills often joined the attack and left Beckham to stay back at the halfway line with other defenders. But his play in dead-ball situations made his 90-minute contribution worthwhile. But England's other world-class player nearly put his team in front after 24 minutes. After Owen collected a long pass from Butt, the sprinting Liverpool striker was faced with a 1-on-3 break, but still managed to get off a shot that squeezed between the legs of defender Walter Samuel and bounced off the base of the left post. Owen, whose pace and aggressiveness clearly worried the Argentine defense, also almost scored three minutes after the break, but fired just wide of the left post. England had more quality shots in the second half than Argentina, but it was the English defense which was so impressive. Central defender Rio Ferdinand cleared numerous Argentine balls into the penalty area, while holding star striker Gabriel Batistuta to just one shot on goal. Though he had a nervy opening 25 minutes dealing with midfielder-forward Kily Gonzalez, Mills seemed to get his head to most balls in the England penalty area down the stretch. "It was very hard in the last minutes," England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said. "We were tired and they attacked a lot. We deserved to win the game and we played, for 70 to 75 minutes, very good football." But Argentina still had a great chance to equalize with 13 minutes left. Pochettino almost redeemed himself for conceding the penalty, but his cross-range header remarkably was saved by goalkeeper David Seaman. Despite the absence of controversy and memorable goals, England will remember its showdown with Argentina as a classic. England had lost its previous two World Cup encounters with Argentina in highly controversial fashion. Simeone undoubtedly used his acting skills to help induce Beckham's 1998 sending-off. The one highlight for England from that match in St. Etienne, France was the stunning goal of Owen. Then just a teenager, he made his presence on the world stage with a stunning run from near the halfway line, sprinting past a pair of Argentine defenders and floating the ball into the back of the net. Playing at the Mexico '86 tournament just four years after the countries fought the "Falklands Conflict," the ugliness and the beauty of Diego Maradona's game were on full view in the quarterfinal between these two nations. Maradona netted the opener with his self-proclaimed "Hand of God" goal and then slalomed through the English defense to score one of the great goals in World Cup history, highlighting the South Americans' 2-1 victory. England won its first two World Cup meetings with Argentina in 1962 and 1966, when the English side lifted the Cup. In their physical encounter in the 1966 quarterfinals, Argentina defender Antonio Rattin controversially was sent off and England went on to post a 1-0 victory. |
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