Messi mark as Argentina soars
Print Edition
LIONEL Messi pretty much ended the United States’ Copa America Centenario hopes in less than three minutes.
Argentina’s diminutive scoring machine showed the skills, speed and brilliance that made him a five-time world player of the year, exposing the huge gap between the US and soccer’s elite.
Messi set up Ezequiel Lavezzi’s opening goal 175 seconds in, scored on a free kick to break Argentina’s career scoring record — overtaking Gabriel Batistuta — and assisted on the second of Gonzalo Higuain’s two goals in a 4-0 rout on Tuesday night that put La Albiceleste into the Copa America final.
“We got outplayed badly by a very good team,” US Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said. “Today is a good day to judge where we are in program overall. We’re obviously a long way off.”
Messi flicked the ball over the defense to an open Lavezzi for the opener in Houston, then doubled the lead in the 32nd minute with his 55th international goal, his fifth of the tournament. Higuain added goals in the 50th and 86th minutes, the latter off Messi’s pass.
Argentina had 67 percent possession and outshot the US 10-0 — nine on goal.
“Once we were 1-nil down, we had far too much respect,” US coach Juergen Klinsmann said. “After that early goal, I think just that our players could feel that they are just probably in every position on the field just better than we are.”
US players seemed shocked after their largest loss margin in a competitive match since a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. While saying he respected Klinsmann’s view, captain Michael Bradley also said: “Please don’t make it out to be anything like that.”
Argentina seeks its first major title since the 1993 Copa — and its first since Messi’s debut in 2005 — on Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against the winner of the Chile-Colombia semifinal. “We deserve it, for all the good work we’ve been doing all these years,” Messi said.
Argentina will be missing Lavezzi, who broke his left elbow when he fell backward over an advertising sign board in the 63rd minute while trying to chest a pass.
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