DJED SPENCE played his first game without a protective face mask against Argentina.
And it was sod’s Law that the defender would be on the receiving end of a brutal blow to his face in the game.
Djed Spence wore a protective mask for each of England’s World Cup games before their quarter-final clash with Argentina Credit: Splash
Spence’s face was struck by one of Giuliano Simeone’s flailing arms in the 53rd minute
The Tottenham left back had been donning a protective mask to protect the in May.
His mandible, however, recovered enough for him to remove the apparatus in this evening’s semi-final in Atlanta.
And it was tested in the 53rd minute during a touchline challenge from .
Giuliano, the son of former Three Lions foe Diego, caught Spence in the face with a glancing forearm as he tried to close him down on the touchline.
Spence fell to the floor in agony but, after a few seconds, returned to his feet.
Spence was an imperious figure on the for ‘s side.
And he prevented the Argentines from a clear goalscoring chance with a stunning last-ditch tackle on Simeone a little over three minutes later.
The England contingent in attendance at the Atlanta Stadium erupted at Spence’s incredible feat, which quickly became the talk of social media.
: ALL THE LATEST FROM BLOCKBUSTER WORLD CUP SEMI-FINAL
One wrote on X: “This is the greatest tackle in World Cup knockout history 🤯”
Another said: “WHAT AN UNBELIEVABLE TACKLE BY SPENCE !!!!!!!!!!
“THIS IS THE TACKLE OF THE WORLD CUP SO FAR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
And another said: “This tackle from spence was absolute nuts.”
Djed Spence brilliantly denied Giuliano Simeone a clear goalscoring chance Credit: PA
Spence geed up the crowd after his goal-saving tackle Credit: REUTERS
One remarked: “This tackle from DJed Spence will go down in history books! 👏👏.”
Another chimed in: “Great great tackle by Sir Spence.”
England took the lead a minute before Sped’s incredible tackle through a neat finish from Barcelona newboy Anthony Gordon.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez levelled the scores in the 85th minute with an absolute rocket from outside the 18-yard box.
And Lautaro Martinez seemingly broke Three Lions fans’ hearts with a 93rd-minute header.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
I'm dedicated to creating high-quality content that informs, inspires, and delights. If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to get in touch. Happy reading!
