Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has dismissed concerns over fatigue and form ahead of his team's World Cup semifinal against England on Wednesday in Atlanta, as the defending champions seek a second consecutive final appearance.

The match evokes memories of the 1986 quarterfinal featuring Diego Maradona's 'Hand of God' and his stunning solo goal, as well as the lingering Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute. Scaloni told reporters: "We are in good shape and can't wait. This is a World Cup semifinal; our hopes are intact."

Argentina, led by the 39-year-old Lionel Messi, have battled through the knockout rounds, needing extra time to beat Cape Verde and Switzerland, and a late comeback against Egypt. Scaloni said: "A month and a half ago, I would have taken getting to the semifinal. I don't care if we're tired."

England and Argentina have met five times in World Cups, with the 1986 clash being the most iconic. Scaloni praised Maradona's second goal: "It was a marvelous goal that any football lover remembers. It just happened to be against England."

Scaloni has sought to keep politics out of the game: "This is a football match. I am not going to mix everything up with things that happened long ago. It was a very sad time, but this is just football."

The coach acknowledged the challenge of stopping England stars Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have scored 12 of England's 13 goals in the tournament. "They are two great players, among the best in the world. Any coach would like to have them," Scaloni said.

Source: www.aljazeera.com