Minute-by-minute report

Michael Owen won the penalty in the 43rd minute and Captain Marvel David Beckham duly converted it as the pain of defeats in 1986 and 1998 was finally wiped out.

Here read the minute-by-minute report of the match...

14:21: Full time: Arg. 0 - 1 Eng.

14:20: A swinging ball flies over the deadball line and Eng can take a breath.

14:20: Inside the last minute of stoppage time.

14:19: A flick to the back post is pulled up for offside.

14:19: Arg. are pushing forward with two minutes of stoppage time.

14:18: Inside the last minute.

14:18: One minute to go and England are keeping it tight through the mid-field.

14:17: England are sitting back on the edge of the box keeping Arg. at bay.

14:15: Three minutes to go...

14:14: Five minutes to go and England are going to have to play really well to hold on as they are slowly being forced back by a strong Arg. team.

14:13: A long ball over Mills is collected in the box by Seaman.

14:11: The last eight minutes is turning into a backs to the wall affair.

14:10: The mid-field now reads Sinclair on the right, Beckham, Butt and Scholes in the middle with Wayne Bridge on the left.

14:09: Owen is brought off to be replaced by Wayne Bridge, with Sheringham on his own up front.

14:07: A corner to Arg. is swung over but teh referee blows for a foul and Eng. can take a breath.

14:06: A goal line clearance from Seaman is flicked round the post for a corner.

14:03: Fiftenn minutes to go and Arg. are enjoying their best priod of the game, Engalnd are still leading from Beckham's 41st minute penalty.

14:03: But Sheringham gets a challenge in and the ball glides over the dead ball line.

14:02: Argentina get another free kick on the right hand side of the box.

13:59: A flick on by Sheringham glides past the right hand post.

13:58: A heavy challenge on Ashley Cole gives Eng. a free kick on the left wing.

13:56: A neat one-two on the edge of the box is worked to Aimar but his hot flies over the bar - a warning.

13:55: A free kick twenty five yards out for Arg. is closed down by Scholes before it causes any trouble.

13:53: Substitution for Arg. Gonzales off for Lopez.

13:49: Thirty minutes to go. Arg. 0 - 1 Eng.

13:48: Substitution for Arg. sees Batistuta replaced by Crespo.

13:47: A rasping shot by Sheringham is beaten over the bar by the Arg. keeper. On chances England should have scored another, it's vital a goal is scored.

13:44: An injured Heskey comes off to be replaced by Sheringham.

13:43: Beckham breaks through the middle and under a stern challenge gets a shot away but the ball slides wide of the post.

13:42: England have weathered the storm and must push out a bit further Sheringham is warming up on the touch line.

13:39: A crashing shot by Sinclair is beaten out to Scholes whose shot flies through the defence for the Arg. keeper to punch it away.

13:37: Owen turns the defence and gets a clear shot on goal from a tight angle but his shot slips past the post.

13:36: Argentina are pushing forward but England are showing a good shape.

13:34: Argentina kick-off and the hope is that England can give as storng a performance in the second half as the first.

13:33: Argentina have made a change at half-time bringing off Veron and replacing him with Pablo Aimar.

13:19: Half-time: Arg. 0 - 1 Eng. An England performance beyond many fans' dreams sees a David Beckham penalty splitting the two sides. England have kept a good pace and Butt is looking strong in mid-field.

13:16: Two mins added time - Arg. 0 - 1 Eng.

13:15: The penalty came about after Owen was tripped up in the box, after a good pass by Scholes.

13:14: The ball is placed on the spot by Beckham and he strides up and hits it home. GOAL Arg.0 - 1 Eng.

13:13: Penalty for Eng.

13:11: Gonzalez takes a blow on the nose from Beckham as the pair of them challenge for a high ball.

13:05: Thirty-three minutes gone and still 0-0 it's a tense tight game, a good ten minutes from Eng. mid-way through the first half by England has come to nothing.

13:02: Gonzalez is challenged on the back post by Beckham and sends a shot high over the bar.

13:00: Ashley Cole gets a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Ortega that leaves the forward on the floor.

12:59: A heavy challenge by Pocchettino on Sinclair sees England win a free kick that comes to nothing.

12:57: A tricky run down the left by Sinclair comes to nothing and England have had a couple of sniffs on goal that need to be converted soon.

12:56: A chip into the English box flicks off Batistuta's head into the arms of Seaman.

12:55: Owen breaks through and his shot rattles against the inside of the post and leaves the Arg. keeper Cavallero beaten.

12:53: Twenty minutes gone, Arg. 0 - 0 Eng. No team has had a clear shot on goal, just a very tense atmospher.

12:50: Hargreaves has come off to be replaced by Sinclair, to push Scholes into the middle of mid-field.

12:47: A third free-kick for England sent over by Beckham is cleared again at the near post.

12:45: The ball is cleared away from the front post.

12:44: A free kick on the left wing has been won by Owen.

12:44: A heavy challenge from Batistuta on Ashley Cole sees the striker getting a yellow card.

12:39: A shot from the edge of the box by Zanetti flies past Seaman's left hand post - Argentina are seeing a lot of the ball.

12:36: Owen Hargreaves is off the pitch at the moment receiving treatment for a blow on the back of the knee.

12:35: Argentina are pressing the English back-four hard with a challenge on Ashley Cole seeing the ball break through but collected by Campbell.

12:32: Argentina are playing with a back three and Heskry wins the first flick-on but Owen fails to get on the end of it.

12:30: The teams line-up with England kicking off.

12:25: The two teams are greeted by an incredible atmosphere under the Sapporo dome in the north of Japan.

12:04: Team News:

Argentina: Cavallero, Sorin, Samuel, Pocchettino, Placente, Zanetti, Simeone, Veron, Gonzalez, Ortega, Batistuta. Subs: Aimar, Almeyda, Ayala, Bonano, Burgos, Caniggia, Chamot, Crespo, Gallardo, Husain, Claudio Lopez, Gustavo Lopez.

England: Seaman, Mills, Ferdinand, Campbell, Ashley Cole, Beckham, Butt, Hargreaves, Scholes, Heskey, Owen. Subs: Bridge, Brown, Joe Cole, Dyer, Fowler, James, Keown, Martyn, Sheringham, Sinclair, Southgate, Vassell.

Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)