captain Juan Sebastián Verón had purposely diminished the quality of his game, because he had to return to England to play with Manchester United. Verón has denied the allegations. 2005 friendly The most recent game between the two nations occurred on neutral ground in Geneva on 12 November 2005 when the two teams, having both already qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, met in a friendly. Both teams selected strong sides. England twice came from behind to beat Argentina 3–2 with goals from Michael Owen from crosses by Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole in the dying moments. The result and performance were welcomed enthusiastically by the English press and public. The general nature of the match was also less intensely vitriolic than on previous occasions, with The Times reporting, "by the unpleasant standards of previous confrontations, the skirmish between England and Argentina edged towards the saccharine, although the concept is deeply relative. The latest encounter featured punches on the terraces, songs about the Falkland Islands, jibes regarding players' sexuality and general churlishness that, believe it or not, represents a significant thaw in diplomatic relations." England's victory was the first time either side had won consecutive matches against the other. List of matches Below is a list of matches between the countries:England national team matches on England Football OnlineEl partido del gol de Grillo on El Gráfico Notes Matches overview Notes Facts and figures In Argentina (2 matches): 1 draw, 1 abandonment In England (6 matches): 3 England wins, 3 draws Neutral venues (6 matches): 3 England wins, 2 Argentina wins, 1 draw (Argentina won on penalties) Both teams have knocked each other out on the way to winning World Cups – England in 1966 and Argentina in 1986. Club level At the club level, matches have also been heated. Argentine and English clubs have not had many chances to play against each other, but when they have done so there have been notable incidents. The most memorable matches happened in the now defunct European/South American Cup. In 1968, Estudiantes de La Plata played against Manchester United for the Cup, then known as the "Intercontinental Cup". The first leg was in Buenos Aires, where Estudiantes' supporters were highly vocal and the game was played in a very physical manner with a disputed red card and physical injury. Manchester United could not recover the 1–0 deficit in the second leg and