Lionel, at last
Messi’s Argentina defeat Brazil to end 28-year major title drought
RIO DE JANEIRO — Two long droughts ended on Saturday at the Copa America final: Argentina won its first major title since 1993 after a 1-0 win against Brazil; and Lionel Messi finally lifted his first major trophy for the national team, filling in one of the biggest gaps in his decorated career.
Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after a delicious Rodrigo de Paul throughball found Angel Di Maria. The 33-year-old striker counted on some sloppy defending from leftback Renan Lodi to take control and lob goalkeeper Ederson.
When the match ended, a tearful Messi knelt down and put his hands on his face. Then most of his teammates ran in his direction to celebrate and threw him into the air. Once criticized by Argentina fans for his quietness, he went to the few hundred guests chanting his name at the Maracana and chanted with them. Messi kissed the trophy before lifting it into the air during the presentations.
The match at the Maracana started with some surprises. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the starting lineup that beat Colombia on penalties in the semifinal.
Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuna, Leandro Paredes and Di Maria took the places of Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Tagliafico, Guido Rodriguez and Nicolas Gonzalez.
Brazil, a team that has become recognized for its consistency, did not make any changes from the team that advanced to the final.
Both sides were cautious in the early stages, barely creating any chances. When Argentina opened the scoring thanks to a rare Brazil defensive error and Di Maria’s classy finish, the match became more physical, with Argentina successfully snuffing out Neymar’s threat with some hefty challenges.
Neymar tried hard with dribbles and passes, but the Selecao barely threatened Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half. Argentina sat back, hoping for counterattacks.
Brazil coach Tite tried to change the dynamic of the match by replacing defensive midfielder Fred for Roberto Firmino, and managed to do so for much of the second half. But although the Selecao had more possession they created few real opportunities.
It wasn’t only Lodi who made mistakes in Brazil’s defense. Veteran Thiago Silva and midfielder Casemiro, two of the steadiest players of the
I can’t cry yet. We dreamed of getting this, and we fought. Many people criticized us and asked us not to come back (to the national team).”
Angel Di Maria,
Argentina’s goal-scoring hero in Saturday’s Copa America final
team, gifted Argentina opportunities in the second half, some of them via unforced errors.
Silva acknowledged Brazil was under par in a match that marked the first Copa America title that the Selecao lost playing at home — it won in all previous five.
“It was not the Brazil team it usually is in the first minutes. When you concede in a match like this, it is hard to come back,” he said.
“In the second half it was only one team trying to play, the other was just stopping the match. But we can’t use excuses, we couldn’t play our game in the first half.”
Brazil coach Tite praised Argentina for the title, but also accused Argentina of spoiling tactics.
“We wanted to play, but there was a lot of anti-soccer. Fouls all the time, it took ages for the match to go on,” Tite said.
“There was no pace. Their strategy was that. Argentina is very well placed defensively, has a great goalkeeper, a back four of quality, with good replacements. Those are their merits.”
Messi’s performance in the final was not as impressive as in previous matches of the tournament, during which he scored four goals and had five assists.
The Barcelona superstar had a clear-cut opportunity in the 88th minute, but uncharacteristically got the ball stuck under his feet as he attempted to round Ederson.
“I can’t cry yet,” Di Maria said after the full-time whistle. “We dreamed of getting this, and we fought. Many people criticized us and asked us not to come back (to the national team).”
The title, however, provides Messi some relief after all the questions throughout his career on his effectiveness playing for the national team.
The South American trophy is a relief for Argentina, which won its last major title when Messi was only 6 years old. Saturday’s victory in Rio gave the team its 15th Copa America title, this time unbeaten, equaling Uruguay’s total. Brazil has won the South American title nine times.
“If we achieved something, it was by making things natural. It is above all about transparency, one enters the other leaves. No one has a safe place,” said Argentina coach Scaloni. “I hope fans enjoy this. They wanted to win it as much as us, they felt identification with this team, which may play well or badly, but never gives up.”
Messi, who has won multiple titles with Barcelona, had reached the final of Copa America three times and lost all of them in 2007, 2015 and 2016. Now, he will have good memories at the Maracana, where Argentina lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany.
In its path to the title, Argentina won four out of five matches in the group stage, including a hardfought 1-0 encounter with Uruguay. It beat Ecuador 3-0 in the quarterfinals and topped Colombia on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time.
Brazil became the last-minute host of the competition two weeks before it kicked off after original organizers Colombia and Argentina withdrew. Many players protested against the tournament taking place as the COVID-19 pandemic causes thousands of deaths a day in South America, even more so in Brazil where 532,000 have died.
Officials allowed a few thousand fans into the Maracana for the decider, the only match in the tournament to have spectators. There was very little social distancing in the celebrations, and some fans removed their masks.