Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni praised his side's resilience and fighting spirit after they came from behind to defeat England 2-1 and book their place in the FIFA World Cup final.
Speaking after Wednesday's dramatic semifinal victory, Scaloni said Argentina sensed an opportunity after England took the lead and began defending deeper, prompting his players to push relentlessly for an equaliser and eventual winner.
"I think that this team plays the best when we are facing adversity," Scaloni said.
"We had a challenging game, a challenging situation."
'There was blood in the water'
The Argentina coach said his players never lost belief despite missing several opportunities before completing the comeback.
"There was blood in the water, and we went for it. That's the feeling that I was getting," he said.
"You just have to keep going. We hit the crossbar. We hit the post, and it just couldn't go in. There were six or seven chances, but I'm very pleased because the team fought to the very end, and I think this is critical."
The victory marked Argentina's second dramatic comeback of the knockout stage after overturning a deficit against Egypt in the Round of 16.
When asked how he would describe the latest win after previously calling the Egypt comeback "epic," Scaloni smiled and replied: "Epic squared?"
'This group fears nothing'
Scaloni credited the entire squad for the victory, describing the team's unity as its greatest strength.
"This group is difficult to explain. It is a show of the collectiveness, the brotherhood that we are in, the fight to the very end that we have," he said.
The victory sends Argentina into Sunday's World Cup final against European champions Spain in New Jersey.
A win would give Scaloni his fourth consecutive major international title after leading Argentina to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and two Copa América triumphs.
The coach insisted his players remain fearless regardless of the occasion.
"I know the guys. They fear nothing," Scaloni said.
"They don't feel the weight on their shoulders."
"They're playing like they're seven or eight years old. They're not thinking about what happens if they miss. They're not thinking about the semifinal or the final."
