Argentina advances to Copa America quarterfinals, beats Chile 1-0 on Martinez 88th-minute goal
Tue, Jun 25, 2024
Soccer News (AP)
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Lautaro Martinez scored off a rebound during a frantic scramble in the 88th minute, giving defending champion Argentina and Lionel Messi a 1-0 victory over Chile on Tuesday night that guaranteed a berth in the Copa America quarterfinals.
Messi's corner kick was sent toward goal with a glancing header by defender Lisandro Martinez. The ball landed in front of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, where Argentina's Giovani Lo Celso and Chile's Nicolas Fernandez were crowding the keeper. Lo Celso kicked the ball off Bravo and it rebounded to Chile's Igor Lichnovsky, who tried to poke it wide.
Lautaro Martinez calmly one-timed that rebound into the roof of the net for his second goal of the tournament on Argentina's 21st shot of the match.
Players stood and waited for three minutes while the goal, Martinez's 26th for the national team, was confirmed in a video review.
Argentina leads Group A with six points, followed by Canada with six, and Chile and Peru with one each. The Albiceleste finishes the first round against Peru at Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, when Canada meets Chile in Orlando, Florida.
Playing a day after his 37th birthday, Messi frequently flaunted his talent to spin around and slalom through defenders before an adoring sellout crowd of 81,106 at MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup final. Argentina dominated 21-3 in shots and 11-0 in corner kicks. Chile didn't take its first attempt until the 72nd minute.
Messi came the closest to scoring before Martinez with a 30-yard shot that glanced off the post to Bravo's left in the 36th minute. Messi had received treatment on the thigh area of his right leg for nearly two minutes after getting kicked by Gabriel Suazo in the 24th.
Nicolas Gonzalez's shot from another Messi pass in the 62nd was parried off the crossbar by Bravo.
Argentina outshot Chile 17-0 before Rodrigo Echeverria's 72nd-minute effort following a turnover was saved by Emiliano Martinez. The goalkeeper then made another diving save on Echeverria in the 76th.
On the 46th anniversary of Argentina winning its first World Cup title, the teams returned to the stadium where Chile beat Argentina on penalty kicks in the 2016 Copa America final. That defeat prompted Messi to announce his international retirement only to reverse his decision seven weeks later.
At least 90% of the fans wore Argentina jerseys, most with Messi's name and No. 10.
Bravo, at 41 the oldest player in Copa America history, had eight saves in his 150th international appearance. He and Messi, former Barcelona teammates, spoke with each other while leading their teams onto the field for the national anthems.
There were some small brown patches behind one goal on a grass field installed at a stadium where the usual surface is artificial turf. The surface was narrow, with construction scheduled to allow a wider field for the World Cup.
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