Here we go... Argentina are up first... Sergio Berti versus David Seaman...

Trevor Brooking
Former England midfielder at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard

Who is going to take the penalties? Shearer, Owen and Merson are the obvious ones. After that you have six defensive players. Nine of those would relish taking penalties. I have a feeling only Adams will.

Imagine the anxiety back home in England at the moment?

Yeah, imagine?!

You don't really need me to remind you that England have suffered shoot-out heartache before this - at the hands of the Germans at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996.

We did beat Spain, though, at that tournament on home soil.

Heroic, brave, brilliant... it has been a superb display from England in the most testing of circumstances.

Beckham's rashness left his team-mates in the lurch, but they have come through normal and extra-time with so much credit.

But as is the way with England at major tournaments in the 90s, we're going to have to suffer a shoot-out...

There it is... England's one chance to spare us penalties. It comes, as Trevor has been suggesting, from a set-piece, with Arsenal duo Merson and Adams combining. Merse floats the ball in and Adams dives in at the back post to head across goal and wide.

Trevor Brooking
Former England midfielder at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard

My mind keeps drifting back to 1990, to the semi-finals and the penalties. To 1996 also.

Really? It hadn't crossed any of our minds at all!

Even Paul Merson is in on the crunching tackle game tonight. He slides in and takes the ball away from Gallardo, who was just about to pull the trigger on the edge of the box. All hands to the pump.

Eddie Brayley: Watched this at the time, at something like 4am, on my own, in a bar in Hong Kong.

The England bench - players, coaches, support staff, the lot - are on their feet. Probably as much out of nervousness as anything else. I mean, sitting down during this is not really an option.

Eighteen-year-old me now is currently rocking from foot to foot in the Golden Lion in Pudsey, exhaling with relief every time an Argentina effort flies wide. Half a warm pint of generic European lager in my hand.

When a ball drops 30 yards from goal and only the shooting option is really on, there can't be many players in the world you'd want it to drop to less than David Batty. Loves a tackle, but not a goal. His shot is sliced high and wide and behind for a goal kick.

Is this Ince's finest game for England? He was good in the game in Italy that helped England get to these finals, but I think this display is possibly its equal.

He slides in to once again prevent Argentina going forward. The Argentine players are up on the bench, screaming for a foul, but the ball was won, hard but fair.

Lots to like about this Argentina team, but they don't half try to influence the officials. Saying that, it's worked in their favour so far.

Postpublished at 107 mins

107 mins

England 2-2 Argentina

The stretcher fellas are on, but more as a precautionary measure than anything. Michael Owen gets clattered in an aerial challenge with Vivas and goes down holding his head after the Argentine defender's boot catches him, but he's going to be OK.

Whoa, we're halfway there. Whoa-o England living on a prayer.

Quick switch around and we're back under way.

If it's not Ince in front of them, it is either Adams or Campbell doing a sterling job at the back for England. Adams dives in to head clear with Crespo again sniffing.

Hernan Crespo lets England off for some poor play in possession by straying offside just before a through ball is played to him. He shoots wide anyway.

The aforementioned Ince tries to settle it before all those penalty shenanigans. He beats one man, two, three... pure muscle and drive gets him to within shooting distance, but he slices his effort wide.

Incey has been superb this game. That would have been a fitting way to cap it.

Trevor Brooking
Former England midfielder at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard

Looks like, unless there is a set-piece maybe, that England are going to go right through looking for penalties. The main concern is that having taken off some midfielders, you have Shearer, Owen and Merson but after that you are going to have to ask a couple of defenders to take penalties, because Batty and Ince don't like taking penalties.

Oh Trevor, you're absolutely killing me here. You beautiful man, you don't realise yet quite how prophetic your words are.

Bezaleel Adewumi: Alan Shearer covered every blade of grass in that game. He showed true leadership. Legend

Here comes David Batty, replacing Darren Anderton, to add further discipline and steel to the England midfield. He won't shy away from the battle, that's for sure. Doesn't shy away from anything doesn't Batts... well, maybe apart from football itself., external

Kim Milton Nielsen
1998 World Cup referee

The handball was not intentional.

A player can't remove his arms before a game, so they have to be somewhere. There were a lot of arms going up and the ball hit the Argentinian player's arm.