Argentina 0 - 1 England

Once more England are a team of rising sons. For a moment last Sunday they gave a convincing impersonation of drop-outs but from now on no one will be fooled.

Far from approaching a point of departure from the 2002 World Cup, Sven-Goran Eriksson's team now need only a point from Wednesday's final group game against Nigeria in Osaka to reach the second round. There they may face not France, as had been widely predicted, but Denmark or Senegal.

This singular turn of events is a result of a victory over Argentina in the Sapporo Dome last night, achieved by David Beckham's penalty late in the first half, which was as heartening as it was unexpected.

The Argentinians went into the match with their status as one of the tournament favourites further strengthened by the imminent fall of France, the holders, and the likelihood of beating an England side which, in holding on for a 1-1 draw with Sweden, had made ineptitude a fine art. Now Argentina will almost certainly have to beat Sweden to avoid the premature exit so many were ready to reserve for England. Apparently there is no limit to the topsy-turvy antics of this World Cup.

Nevertheless England supporters would welcome nothing so much now as a period of pragmatic, predictable progress from their team. Just as it was wrong-headed to write off England so soon after yet another false start in a World Cup, so it would be rash now to declare them the new favourites on the evidence of one admittedly outstanding performance. Eriksson's side remain the strong outsiders they always were.

The important thing is that England, dear soppy old England, with their adherence to a foreign slayer of non-existent dragons, their enduring belief in a myth of football sup-remacy, their blindly loyal followers and their highly sceptical press, have faced down one of the world's best teams without blinking. The 5-1 victory over Germany in Munich was achieved with a ruthless display of attacking football which punished abysmal defending after Eriksson's own defence had looked flawed. For all-round quality last night's win was in a higher grade altogether.

It was borne of the best defending seen yet from the centre-back partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell, backed once again by David Seaman's habit of making crucial saves at critical moments. More fundamental to the result, however, was the outstanding exhibition of defensive midfield play given by Nicky Butt, who with Paul Scholes managed to persuade Marcelo Bielsa to dispense with Juan Sebastian Veron for the second half and then prevented the replacement, Pablo Aimar, becoming the influence the Argentina coach was seeking.

From now on Butt is entitled to hear no more groans about Steven Gerrard and his groin. The pass from Butt which led to the shot Michael Owen poked through the legs of Walter Samuel midway through the second half, beating Pablo Cavallero only to see the ball hit a post, could not have been bettered by anyone. Butt and Scholes are now the springboard from which England can launch Owen at defences.

Mauricio Pochettino, all too aware of how the striker's speed and finishing power had torn Argentina apart in France four years earlier, was nervous of Owen all evening. Even as he was being sucked into giving away the penalty he was trying to withdraw the offending foot, which then took on a life of its own in the matter of Dr Strangelove's siegheiling right arm. When Eriksson took Owen off with 11 minutes to go so that Wayne Bridge could shore up the left flank against Aimar and the tireless Ariel Ortega, English hearts must have skipped a beat.

Tactically the change was vindicated because Argentina spent the remainder of the match entangled in a five-man midfield with Teddy Sheringham, who replaced Emile Heskey just before the hour, holding the ball up to offer England occasional relief. Yet Owen was still full of running, unlike Beckham who still looked short of match fitness.

Yet what a difference a win makes. England had come out of the draw against Sweden a team of disparate bits and pieces. Now the stray parts have fallen into place, most notably the much-travelled Trevor Sinclair, whose ability to run at opponents gave England natural width on the left for all but the first 18 minutes.

Indeed, it could be argued that the biggest single contribution to England's success was the tackle that forced Owen Hargreaves, who had started brightly, out of the game at that point. The introduction of Sinclair enabled Scholes, who had started on the left, to be reunited with Butt in central midfield and from then on England's football swung easily between defence and attack.

If Argentina had more possession England created more chances and Cavallero was the busier goalkeeper, making notable saves from Scholes and Sheringham. Argentina's forwards failed seriously to disturb England's defence and, when Ferdinand's one slip gave Pochettino a free header, Seaman blocked it on the line.

Ultimately Argentina's football looked one-dimensional. This was no accident because until relatively recently Eriksson, as a club coach in Italy, knew more about their players than he did about the squad he runs now. And it showed.

Argentina (3-5-2): Cavallero; Pochettino, Samuel, Placente; Zanetti, Simeone, Veron (Aimar, 46), Sorin, Gonzalez (Lopez, 63); Ortega; Batistuta (Crespo, 59).

Bookings: Batistuta.

England (4-4-2): Seaman; Mills, Ferdinand, Campbell, A Cole; Beckham, Hargreaves (Sinclair, 18), Butt, Scholes; Owen (Bridge, 79), Heskey (Sheringham, 55).

Bookings: A Cole, Heskey.

Referee: P Collina (Italy).

Man of the match: Nicky Butt .