England vs Argentina – player ratings: Who impressed most in World Cup group game and who went missing?

England secured their place in the last 16 of the World Cup on Friday after Jodie Taylor's second-half strike earned them a 1-0 win over Argentina, but who impressed most?

England (4-3-3)

Carly Telford (Chelsea)
Had nothing to do against a limited Argentina forward line. Could have spent her game silently playing cards in the corner, glancing up periodically, and still been fine. 6/10

Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Usual class and quality on the right. England’s best play often went through their vice-captain, who on the odd occasion, but not always, found the chemistry with Nikita Parris that had caused Scotland problems last week. 8/10

Abbie McManus (Manchester United)
Did well when called upon and decision-making was smart in the rare moments of Argentina pressure. Demonstrated a cool head in the moments Banini broke free. 7/10

Steph Houghton (Manchester City)
Vision to instigate the move that won in England’s penalty was in evidence in several inviting deliveries from deep. Typically unflappable at the back. 7/10

Alex Greenwood (Manchester United)
After a quiet opening half an hour, needed to offer more going forward and duly did so, with her surging run to latch on to Beth Mead’s cutback winning the penalty. 6/10

Jill Scott (Manchester City)
Did well to retain composure against a physical, testing Argentina midfield and her vision for the opener, picking out Fran Kirby at the base of England’s midfield, epitomised the experienced midfielder’s intelligence. 6/10

Jade Moore(Reading)
The ideas were there but the execution lacked. Contained an aggressive Argentina midfield and screened the back four well but did not offer her usual accuracy going forward. 5/10

Nikita Parris (Lyon)
Opened with usual swagger and menace alongside Bronze but the lack of  disguise on her penalty was costly. Seemed ruffled by the long wait before taking her spot-kick. 6/10

Fran Kirby (Chelsea)
Positioning questionable at times given how deep she ended up sitting. That was offset by the times she was at her inventive best, including a couple of deliveries to Mead. 6/10

Beth Mead (Arsenal)
Energy could not be faulted. Became a first-half frustration, but did well to cut the ball back for Greenwood to win the penalty and to read Taylor’s run for the opener. 7/10

Jodie Taylor (Seattle Reign)
Struggled to exert her will on the game at times. Her tap-in from Mead’s low cross felt like a huge relief moment for the striker. 7/10

Argentina (4-3-3)

Vanina Correa (CA Rosario Central)
Comfortably Argentina’s best player. Read Parris’ penalty perfectly and four times retained parity from gilt-edged England chances. An indomitable presence. 9/10

Eliana Stabile (Boca Juniors)
Stretched the boundaries of the term ‘legal challenge’ in her attempts to contain Bronze and Kirby. Threw herself into more shapes than students playing a game of Twister. 6/10

Aldana Cometti (Sevilla)
Recovered well from what looked set to be a surefire own goal when she turned Fran Kirby’s delivery inches wide. Grew into the game against Parris. ‘Streetwise’ would be an euphemism. 6/10

Agustina Barroso (Madrid CFF)
A fairly joyless evening trying to keep tabs on the double threat of the meandering Lucy Bronze and Beth Mead. 5/10

Adriana Sachs (UAI Urquiza)
Looked like she had been handed a thankless task trying to suppress Beth Mead and needed the dark arts in order to do so. Mettle and effort impressive. 5/10

Lorena Benitez (Boca Juniors)
Physical and combative but had her hands full against Moore and Scott. Offered nothing going forward. 5/10

Miriam Mayorga (UAI Urquiza)
Argentina’s most mobile player worked hard and popped up everywhere like a Whack-A-Mole game but her actual influence was limited. 6/10

Ruth Bravo (CD Tacon)
Her penchant for leaving players horizontal looked like her only answer to Lucy Bronze’s relentless pace and forward thrust. Rightly the first name to enter the book and drew the attention of the referee early on for her repeated stamps on Jill Scott’s toes. 5/10

Florencia Bonsegundo (Sporting Huelva)
Her defensive organisation against a player of Mead’s pace was akin to that of the Argentina mascots - so all over the shop they ran off the field before the national anthem had finished. 5/10

Sole Jaimes (Lyon)
At times an obdurate opponent for Steph Houghton and worked hard to contain Jill Scott. Headed Argentina’s best break against the run of play but otherwise her offensive influence was limited. 6/10

Estefania Banini (Levante UD)
Pushed hard down Argentina’s left but was always going to have little joy against Bronze. Showed lots of energy but no end product. 5/10