Eight years have passed since Argentina faced Chile in the same venue during this tournament. Recently, on Tuesday evening, the two powerhouse Argentina vs Chile from South America revisited MetLife Stadium near New York, the location where Lionel Messi experienced one of his most significant disappointments, leading to his temporary retirement from the national team, marking a period of considerable adversity in his career.
On Tuesday, Messi and Argentina put to rest any lingering doubts from the 2016 World Cup. Despite claiming victory in the Copa America and World Cup thereafter, the significance of this triumph was deeply personal. After eight years since Messi’s heartbreaking Copa America loss, Argentina is progressing in the current tournament with a hard-fought victory.
In the presence of over 81,000 spectators, Argentina secured their second victory in a row from their group matches, narrowly defeating Chile 1-0 with a goal scored in the final minutes.
The match was far from graceful. It was aggressive, unsportsmanlike, and at times, extremely unpleasant. However, Argentina managed to stay in the game, a feat they have consistently achieved over the past three years.
This time, Messi didn’t step up as the star player. The award for the most valuable player goes to Lautaro Martinez, who made a crucial substitution for Argentina. Despite 88 minutes of play, Argentina failed to break through the determined defense of Chile. Yet, the Chileans couldn’t stop Martinez from making a significant impact.
It took a bit of luck, the rebound of a corner kick to the Inter player near the goal line. However, in a match where the difference is slim, that’s often the case. Argentina didn’t always enjoy that luck in previous years, but they certainly do now.
Following that, Argentina faces a group stage final against Peru, yet their position in the knockout rounds is already secured. Their defense in the Copa America hasn’t been flawless, but their overall performance has been solid. Messi and his team are moving on to the next challenge.
Messi’s Fitness
However, Argentina’s coach Lionel Scaloni has highlighted after the completion of Argentina vs Chile match that Messi’s participation in the final minutes of the match, contributing to Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Chile, by running 50 meters to join the attack, suggests he is in good form.
In the match, Messi faced some tough competition and, in the middle of the first half, was attended to for an injury to his upper right leg. Despite this, Messi managed to complete the game. However, it is noted that Messi has been sidelined for six matches in the MLS season due to muscle-related injuries.
Outcome of the Match Result
After the match of Argentina vs Chile, Argentina has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa America, but it remains a possibility for them to finish in either first or second place in Group A.
Lionel Scaloni’s team is currently leading their group with six points and a positive goal difference after two games, followed by Canada (three points, -1 goal difference), Chile (one point, -1 goal difference), and Peru (one point, -1 goal difference). The decisive match for Argentina is against Peru at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL, while Canada will play Chile at the Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, FL. Both games are scheduled to start at 8 pm ET on Saturday.
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