After a fast and furious start, Mexico took the lead with just five minutes on the clock. Pavel Pardo's free-kick from the right was flicked on by Jared Borgetti and Rafael Marquez swept the ball home at the far post.
It took just four minutes for the Albiceleste to draw level. Juan Riquelme’s corner from the right was touched in by Hernan Crespo and despite a series of chances for both sides, 1-1 was how it stayed for the remaining 80 minutes of normal time.
In the 98th minute, Juan Sorin’s fine cross-field pass was chested down by Rodriguez and the Atletico Madrid man fired home a left-footed volley to book his side a date with Germany in Berlin’s Olympiastadion on 30 June.
The match:
1': With less than 30 seconds played Mexico won a corner when Lionel Scaloni sliced over his own bar. From the set piece Jared Borgetti saw a goalbound header deflected over for another corner – this one was comfortably cleared.
6': But Mexico had certainly started the better of the two sides and emphasised that with the game’s opening goal. Pavel Pardo swung over a fine free-kick, Jared Borgetti back-headed across the six-yard box and captain Marquez drove it home at the back post. (0-1)
10': The lead lasted just four minutes. Riquelme, celebrating his 28th birthday, saw a 22-yard free-kick deflected for a corner which he himself took and Crespo flicked the ball into the net under pressure from Borgetti. (1-1)
18': They almost had more reason to cheer when Crespo stole into the Mexico penalty area, but Marquez was swift to get across and block further progress.
37': There was much fluid play in between both penalty areas, with the game stretched at times. Possession was evenly split, but chances were beginning to become a premium. However, Mexico were forced into a change when Pardo limped off with a thigh injury.
45 +1': Gabriel Heinze's miscontrol conceded a free-kick on the edge of Argentina’s penalty area, but Ramon Morales hit the wall with a low delivery.
56': Slack marking inside their penalty area from Mexico allowed a Riquelme free-kick to reach the unmarked Maxi Rodriguez. His shot bounced down, but still Sanchez elected to punch clear.
59': Argentina were now stepping up their game and a clever ball from Riquelme set up Javier Saviola, but he missed a great chance by shooting straight at Sanchez from ten yards.
75': Gradually Mexico worked their way back into the game and once more chances became limited. Argentina coach Jose Pekerman decided it was time for a change and withdrew Crespo in favour of Carlos Tevez.
84':Another substitution, another attempt to create the spark which could win the game saw the
introduction of Lionel Messi, wearing 19 on his 19th birthday.
90+3':Games between these two are traditionally tight. When they met in the Confederations Cup in Hanover last year it took a penalty shoot-out to separate them. Mexico haven’t lost to Argentina in 90 minutes in their last three meetings – a run which in this match extended to four.
98':Argentina put together a move which ended with a goal worthy of winning any game. Messi, from a central position midway inside Mexico’s half, played the ball out wide to Sorin. A left-footed delivery picked out Rodriguez on the left-hand edge of the penalty area, he took the ball under control on his chest and on the volley thundered a shot into the top right-hand corner of Sanchez’s net. (2-1)
It took a world-class goal to separate these two in an otherwise evenly balanced game. The win sets up a mouth-watering clash between the South Americans and Germany in Berlin on Friday.
