Two long droughts ended on
Saturday at the Copa América final. Argentina won their first major title since
1993 with a 1-0 win against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro and Lionel
Messi finally lifted his first major trophy for the national team,
filling in one of the biggest gaps in his decorated career.
“I needed to remove from
myself the thorn of achieving something with the national team,” said the Argentina captain after raucous
celebrations.
His side’s winning goal at
the Maracanã came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo De Paul made a long pass to
Ángel Di Maria, who took advantage of some sloppy defending from the left-back
Renan Lodi to control the ball and loft it over Ederson.
When the match ended, a tearful Messi was thrown into the air by his joyous teammates. Once criticized by Argentina fans for his quietness, he went to the few hundred guests chanting his name at the Maracanã. Messi kissed the trophy before lifting it into the air to celebrate his country’s 15th Copa América, a title that drew Argentina level with Uruguay’s all-time record.
“The happiness is immense,” said Messi. “Many
times I dreamed of this. I had a lot of confidence in this group that became
very strong since the last Copa América. It is a group of very good people, who
always push forward, who never complain about anything.”
In an Instagram post
showing him in the dressing-room with the trophy, he wrote: “What a beautiful
madness! This is unbelievable! Thank you, God! We are the champions!”
Emiliano Martínez, the
Aston Villa goalkeeper who has been one of Argentina’s key players in the
tournament, said Messi “is the one who most deserved” to win the South American
title.
Messi spent some time after
the final whistle consoling his former teammate Neymar, who is still yet to win
a trophy with the Brazil national team.
Lionel Scaloni made five
changes from the Argentina side that beat Colombia on penalties in their
semi-final. Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero,
Marcos Acuña, Leandro Paredes and Di María took the places of Nahuel Molina,
Nicolás Tagliafico, Guido Rodríguez and Nicolás González. Brazil, a team recognised
for their steadiness, did not make any changes from the team that had got to
the final.
Both teams started the game
cautiously, with chances few and far between. Neymar tried hard with dribbles
and passes but Brazil did little to work the Martínez in the first half. Argentina sat back, hoping for counterattacks.
Brazil’s coach, Tite, tried
to change the dynamic of the match by replacing thedefensive midfielder Fred
with Roberto Firmino at half-time, but though his side enjoyed more possession
they struggled to create opportunities.
Messi’s performance was not
as impressive as in previous matches of the tournament, during which he scored
four goals and had five assists. When he did find himself with a clear
opportunity, in the 88th minute, he tried to dribble round Ederson only to be
stopped by the Brazil goalkeeper.
Nonetheless, the eventual
win will surely provide Messi with huge relief given the questions he has faced
throughout his career about his effectiveness for the national team, whose last
major title came when he was six years old. Playing for Argentina, Messi has lost
three Copa América finals – to Brazil, 3-0 in 2007, and to Chile in 2015 and
2016, both on penalties – as well as the 2014 World Cup final to Germany in
Rio.
After leading his side to
victory in the same stadium as that defeat, Messi said his happiness was “unexplainable”.
He added: “I was sad before, but I knew that at some point it was going to
happen. I feel that God was saving this moment for me, against Brazil in a
final and in their country.”
