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The family rooting for England and Argentina

Laura Devlin
Darren Rozier/BBC Matthew with a white England shirt sits in a chair in the BBC Radio Suffolk studio with Amelie on his lap. He has grey hair and she has brown hair tied back. Silvana standing next to him is wearing an Argentina blue and white stripe top and blue jeans, and is raising her left fist. She has long dark hair. All are smiling. Darren Rozier/BBC
Matthew and Silvana Holmes, and daughter Amelie, are supporting both England and Argentina

A husband and wife cheering for rival teams in the World Cup semi-final said they were expecting a tense but exciting game.

England fan Matthew Holmes, from Suffolk, and Silvana, originally from Buenos Aires, are separately hoping their team bags a place in the final against Spain, when the two sides meet at 20:00 BST.

Silvana said she was "very passionate" and expected to scream and cry in front of England-supporting friends in Shotley Gate, near Ipswich, while Matthew said he was "very, very excited".

"It's going to be a really nervy night; as long as there are no penalties - I won't be able to watch," he added.

The match comes 40 years after the infamous Maradona goal that knocked England out of the 1986 World Cup, which the South American side went on to win.

"I can remember the 'Hand of God' [goal], I was a very young boy, watching with my dad and grandad," Matthew said.

"I remember how passionate they were about it, and growing up, it was every team except Argentina to win anything."

Reuters The England team in full kit, smiling and standing with their arms around each other on the pitch after the Norway game. Reuters
Matthew is hoping for a re-run of Wonderwall in the stands...
Reuters The Argentina national football team celebrating after their win against Switzerland. Central figure Lionel Messi is bare chested and waving his football shirt above his head. Other players appear to be jumping up and down, their arms aloft. All are smiling.Reuters
...while Silvana hopes Messi (centre) can lead his team to the final

Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin, the couple said football and politics were discussed when they first got together.

"Of course, apart from football, in Argentina there's history – it's England and Argentina, it's all about the Falklands," said Silvana.

"When I came here, everyone talks about Maradona.

"It was a big surprise for me."

The game will be the first time 39-year-old superstar Lionel Messi has played England, and in what could be his final World Cup.

Asked if he was regarded a god in her country, Silvana said: "Yes, not only because he's a good football player, but because he is really humble and a really good leader."

So will Matthew or Silvana be victorious at the final whistle?

Both have predicted a 3-2 victory - for their side, of course - with their five-year-old daughter, Amelie, undecided.

She said she would wear her Argentina top in the first half, and England in the second.

"Yes - wearing the winning team [shirt] at the end," her dad quipped.

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