Lionel Messi scored a goal and world champions Argentina beat Canada 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the Copa America final and remain in the running for a third consecutive major trophy.
The defending Copa champions will face the winner of Wednesday’s semi-final between Uruguay and Colombia in the highly anticipated final in Miami on Sunday.
The 15-time Copa champions produced their best performance of the tournament in front of 82,500 fans at MetLife Stadium and appear to be peaking at the right time to rival their 2022 World Cup success.
“The truth is, what this team, Argentina, has done is incredible,” Messi told TyC Sport after scoring his first goal of the tournament.
“It’s not easy to be in the final again and to fight again to be champion. I feel the same as I did in the last Copa America and the last World Cup. This is the last battle and I’m enjoying it to the fullest,” said the 37-year-old.
Canada surprised many by reaching the quarterfinals in their first Copa America appearance and their performance there deserves praise, but Messi and co. fell just short.
“I think a little bit of tournament fatigue started to set in,” said Marsh, the American coach in Canada, who said he noticed his players looked tired midway through the first half.
“Eventually strength and fatigue catches up with you and that was a big part of what happened for us tonight,” he added.
Marsch’s side had started the game well, attacking their opponents with some energetic football but when left winger Jakob Schaffelburg cut in from the wing and shot wide, the South Americans took the lead from there and did not miss any chances until the end.
Veteran wide man Angel Di Maria, playing in his final tournament for his country, had the majority of the ball on the right wing and fed Messi, who flicked a pass just wide of the goalpost to warn of the early threat.
But it was Rodrigo De Paul who made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute, picking up the ball on the halfway line, looking quickly up and floating the ball to Julián Álvarez.
The Manchester City forward, returning to the starting line-up in place of Lautaro Martinez, used a deft first touch to get away from Moises Bombito and give the Frenchman enough space to score.
– An elegant triangle –
The impressive triangle of Di Maria, Messi and De Paul was a constant threat to the Canadian defence, and Di Maria threatened to add to his second goal with a chipped shot over the crossbar from the right wing.
The sureness of Argentina’s build-up play reflected the confidence of Lionel Scaloni’s team, who are well-drilled but whose organisation never trumps their creativity.
Two minutes before the end of the first half, former Real Madrid winger Di Maria played a precise pass to Messi, who created space for a right-footed shot that went just wide of Max Crepeau’s right post.
Canada’s American coach Marsh had plenty of work to do at half-time to find a way to get his team back on level terms, but all strategy was for naught as the world champions doubled their lead just six minutes after the restart.
A brilliant play from De Paul saw him pass the ball back to Enzo Fernández from the line, who then fired a side-footed shot into the goal by Messi.
Canada briefly hoped Messi might have been offside, but a VAR review showed defender Derek Cornelius was onside.
With a two-goal lead under their belt, Argentina sat back to conserve energy and invite Canada to take on them.
But it wasn’t until the final seconds that Canada had a chance to trouble Emiliano Martinez, when substitute Tani Oluwaseyi forced the goalkeeper into an attack after some sloppy defending.
But it was a comfortable win for Scaloni’s side and moves them one win away from a record 16th Copa America title.
Critical/RCW
