Afrigather 
This was not the potential Copa America farewell that Lionel Messi had dreamed of.
With a bit of over an hour performed in Miami, the place he’s tearing by way of MLS sides on a weekly foundation, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was in tears as he trudged off with an obvious ankle harm.
The following Copa America shouldn’t be till 2028; Messi will likely be past 40 – certainly, this was his final look within the competitors by which he has now performed extra video games than some other participant?
For Messi’s particular person ache, although, there was nationwide glory. Not like Cristiano Ronaldo at Euro 2024, with Portugal crashing out within the quarters, Argentina have gone the gap and, for a 3rd successive main match, come out as the highest canines. They beat Colombia 1-0 on Sunday and claimed a record-setting sixteenth Copa America title.
But when the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup had been all about their magical quantity 10, this time round, Lautaro Martinez supplied the spark.
Argentina 1-0 Colombia (AET)
Argentina by no means trailed on this match and are the primary South American facet to win continental titles round a World Cup for 3 straight main match trophies.#ARGCOL #CopaAmerica2024 pic.twitter.com/g4Ma3emp1o
— Opta Analyst US (@OptaAnalystUS) July 15, 2024
Martinez has not been an everyday starter underneath Lionel Scaloni. He endured a troublesome World Cup in Qatar on a private degree, failing to attain from 14 photographs and an gathered xG of 1.81.
But in the US, on the again of a implausible season with Inter, Martinez has proven there’s life after Messi for Argentina.
Regardless of having already scored 4 objectives on the match to steer the Golden Boot race forward of kick-off towards Colombia, which was delayed by over an hour because of crowd hassle exterior the Onerous Rock Stadium, Martinez was not known as upon till seven minutes into further time.
It had, to that time, been an attritional encounter. Certain, loads of photographs (14 for Colombia, seven for Argentina) however Nicolas Gonzalez’s disallowed objective and a strike off the submit from Jhon Cordoba had been the closest both group got here. The second half alone, in the meantime, featured 13 fouls because the darker facet of South American soccer reared its head.
This was not a sport for aptitude. James Rodriguez, the Participant of the Match, nonetheless bought on the ball for Colombia when he might – he created three possibilities and performed a match-leading 20 passes into the ultimate third. Angel Di Maria, in his last match earlier than worldwide retirement, supplied some spark for Argentina with three key passes of his personal.
Nevertheless it was Martinez who would make himself the (unlikely) hero. 5 minutes after his introduction, he was put by way of by fellow substitute Giovani Lo Celso and, along with his solely shot of the night time, coolly put Argentina forward.
Jubilation for Argentina, who continued the sample that started in 1983, which consists of alternating two-time champions and new winners on the Copa America.
Deflation, although, for Colombia, whose lengthy unbeaten streak got here to an finish after 27 video games, and their 23-year anticipate a second Copa America title will roll on to turn out to be 27 years, at the very least. Will they get a greater probability, particularly after seeing Messi go off?
Lautaro Martínez gained the Copa America Golden Boot with 5 objectives in simply 221 of a doable 570 minutes.#ARGCOL #CopaAmerica2024 pic.twitter.com/nE6LFurmtA
— Opta Analyst US (@OptaAnalystUS) July 15, 2024
Argentina had much less possession than their opponents for the primary time because the semi-finals towards Croatia within the final World Cup, with Colombia seeing 55.7% of the ball.
However even when Messi, who scored solely as soon as throughout the match, was not at his fluid finest, and even out there in any respect, Argentina proved they will win with out him. After he dragged them to glory in Qatar, Messi needed to watch on – along with his ankle swelling – from the sidelines as Martinez bought Argentina over the road.
This victory is one which has been constructed on a spectacularly strong defence, too. Argentina conceded solely as soon as in six video games, within the quarter-final towards Ecuador, which they gained on penalties. Among the many groups that performed at the very least 5 matches in any version of the Copa America, solely 4 conceded fewer than two objectives: Argentina in 2024 (one), Colombia in 2001 (0), Brazil in 1989 (one) and 2019 (one).
And what of Messi, then?
At 37 years and 20 days previous, he grew to become the oldest participant to begin a Copa America last within the twenty first century. He’s additionally the primary participant to play in 5 finals (2007, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2024), surpassing Javier Mascherano (2004, 2007, 2015 and 2016).
He had not been substituted in a Copa America match since July 2007, additionally in a gathering with Colombia, however wants should.
If this was, as anticipated, his farewell look within the competitors, he goes out a two-time champion and with 14 objectives to his identify, three in need of the match’s file scorers.
Martinez, in the meantime, has accomplished his redemption arc. His tally of 5 objectives not solely wins him the Golden Boot, but additionally matches the most effective effort by an Argentine on the Copa America because the flip of the century (together with Messi in 2016 and Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007).
His objectives got here from simply 221 minutes of motion, and he began simply two of Argentina’s six matches.
He did that pic.twitter.com/rGOFF3s6Ur
— CONMEBOL ENG (@copaamerica_ENG) July 15, 2024
Colombia will lick their wounds, however so too should CONMEBOL and CONCACAF.
Passions run excessive in South American soccer, and the Americas generally, however the US will likely be internet hosting a World Cup in two years’ time. The chaos exterior the stadium gates, which resulted in lots of if not 1000’s of followers coming into with out tickets, and the match being delayed, doesn’t mirror effectively in any respect.
Like Martinez in a global shirt, these governing our bodies should up their video games.
