Heated exchanges between players, contested fouls, but no goals marked the first half of the World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina in Atlanta.
The highly anticipated match on Wednesday is being played in a tense atmosphere as the reigning world champions face a top-10 ranked team for the first time in the tournament.
The match heated up quickly, as arms went flying and words were exchanged between players from both sides, but the first half ended with everything except a goal or even a shot on goal.
Both teams received one card each, starting with Anderson in the 38th minute for his challenge on Messi, which brought together players from both teams in a heated scuffle.
Soon after, in the 42nd minute, Argentina’s Martinez was booked for pulling back Rogers, which Martinez reacted to in protest before the match continued.
England had seven fouls, while Argentina had 12.
England enjoyed 44 percent possession, with Argentina dominating with 56 percent.
