Lionel Messi was in the right place at the right time, needing just a gentle touch of his legendary left boot to find the back of the net. This marked Messi's first goal of the Copa America tournament this summer.
Now, Messi and Argentina have a chance to win it all again.
Messi scored a quirky goal early in the second half, Julián Álvarez scored in the first half, and Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 on Tuesday night during their Copa America semifinal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
It's crazy what this group did, what the Argentine national team has been doing," Messi said after the game. "After this, much more importance will be given to all the finals that I and the rest of the old group had to play in."
**When is the Copa America final?**
Argentina will play in the Copa America final on Sunday in Miami, awaiting the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Colombia and Uruguay. This match presents an opportunity for Argentina to further cement its soccer dynasty.
As the defending World Cup champion, Argentina will pursue its second straight Copa America title. A victory would mark their fourth major international championship in three years, including the 2022 Finalissima win over the 2021 Euro champion Italy.
**Messi scores his first goal during this Copa America**
Messi, Argentina’s star, orchestrated another goal, slightly touching a shot from Enzo Fernández in the 51st minute to give Argentina a 2-0 lead. This cushion allowed them to cruise through the second half against Canada.
Messi had been scoreless through Argentina’s five Copa America matches, having missed one on June 29 to nurse a right groin/adductor injury. He returned for the last two matches.
Persistent throughout the first half, Messi took three shots toward the net, growing increasingly frustrated in his attempts to break through and deliver a standout moment during the tournament.
When Messi finally delivered, his goal lacked the theatrics of many others in his career. He didn’t unleash a wicked boot from distance; he was barely three feet in front of the net. The referees even needed to review the score before ruling in Argentina’s favor as Messi and his teammates celebrated.
However, this early second-half attack demoralized Canada, which was playing in its first Copa America tournament and had reached the semifinal by outlasting the likes of Brazil, Venezuela, the United States, and others.
Argentina was a Copa America favorite from the start. They defeated Canada in the opener, along with Chile and Peru in the group stage. Argentina also rebounded from Messi’s missed penalty in a shootout to beat Ecuador in the quarterfinal and then decisively defeated Canada again.
“It is extremely tough to reach another final,” Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni said. “We are carrying a great level of praise with great success. We know how hard it is to get here.”
0 Comments