Miami [US], July 15 (ANI): Lionel Messi’s side successfully defended the Copa America title after Lautaro Martinez fired the ball into the back of the net to help Argentina lift the title for a record 16th time following their 1-0 win over Colombia.
Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium saw Messi in tears after he was substituted in the second half. But Martinez ensured that the Argentinian magician ended with his second Copa America title in the twilight phase of his career.
With a 1-0 win, Argentina ended Los Cafeteros’s 28-match unbeaten streak.
The game kicked off with Argentina trying to penetrate Colombia’s box by bombarding crosses, but it was effectively dealt away.
Colombia retaliated, with winger Luis Diaz making a darting run into Argentina’s box and striking a low-driven shot, which was easily saved by Martinez.
A minute later, Colombia once again came close, with James Rodriguez weaving his magic to find Cordoba in the box. The striker pulled off an acrobatic effort which struck the outside of the post and went out of play.
The game started to open up, with Argentina and Colombia launching one attack after another in their attempts to break the stalemate.
In the 33rd minute, Colombian midfielder Jefferson Lerma almost caught off-guard by taking a shot from an ambitious distance. He got the desired connection, forcing Martinez to pull off a save from his fingertips.
Argentina had a moment of scare after Lionel Messi sustained a heavy knock following a challenge from Arias. However, the Argentinian maestro got up without any assistance, but there was a slight limp as he resumed the game.
Despite Colombia enjoying better chances, the Argentinian defensive wall held intact, resulting in a goalless first half.
Argentina came back to life early in the second half, with Alexis Mac Allister taking the ball inside the box. He couldn’t find an opening to test Camilo Vargas. The delay allowed Rios to clear the ball away.
Argentina steadily grew into the game after Angel Di Maria went for the far corner and forced Vargas to pull off a save.
In the 64th minute, Messi was brought down once again, which seemingly aggravated the injury he sustained in the first half. The emotion got the better of him as he left the pitch in tears. Nico Gonzalez came in as a substitute for the Argentinian maestro.
Argentina thought they went ahead after Gonzalez found the back of the net with a sliding finish. But the joy of the fans and players was short-lived, with the assistant referee raising the flag for off-side.
In the final minutes, Argentina almost took the title home, with Di Maria finding Gonzalez with the ball. The winger headed the ball towards Alvarez, and with Vargas committed, Alvarez only had to send the ball into the open net. However, he failed to arrive in time, and the chance went away.
The first 90 minutes ended goalless, forcing the game into extra time. A couple of changes on the attacking front saw the arrival of Lautaro Martinez and Giovani Lo Celso. The game looked bound for penalties, but Martinez changed the course of the game.
Lo Celso flicked the ball to pave the way for Martinez in the open space inside the box. The Inter Milan striker found the far corner to seal a 1-0 win for Argentina.
Colombia made a late call for a penalty after a player went down in the box. With Colombian players adamant, the referee asked VAR to take a look at the decision. The penalty call was denied, bringing the game to its conclusion. (ANI)
