MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi pumped his arms. The trophy bounced up and down in his grasp. Tears of frustration from an hour or so earlier had turned to laughs and hugs for the two-time Copa America champion and World Cup winner.
Messi was compelled to observe a lot of the second half and additional time due to a leg damage. Nonetheless, Argentina gained its second straight Copa America championship, beating Colombia 1-0 Sunday night time on Lautaro Martínez’s 112th-minute purpose.
“Leo is the best participant in historical past,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni stated via an interpreter. “He by no means desires to depart the pitch. He has a swollen ankle and desires to maintain enjoying. I want these gamers. He desires to play not as a result of he’s egotistical or egocentric. He desires to maintain enjoying as a result of he doesn’t wish to depart his teammates. … He was born to be on the pitch.”
Messi appeared to maintain a non-contact damage whereas working and falling within the sixty fourth minute. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner coated his face together with his arms as he sat on the bench and sobbed.
Martínez later ran to that bench to hug his 37-year-old captain after the purpose that propelled Argentina to its report sixteenth Copa title.
Showing to be limping after the ultimate whistle sounded properly previous midnight, Messi beckoned for his senior teammates to carry the trophy with him: 36-year-old Nicolás Ottamendi and Ángel Di María, who’s retiring from the nationwide group. As white confetti cascaded, the trio hugged.
“The reality is, it’s onerous to explain,” Di Maria stated. “It was written like that. I instructed the blokes final night time at dinner that I dreamt it. That’s why I stated it was my final Copa America. I dreamt we made it to the ultimate and we gained it so I might exit this fashion.
“I’ll be at all times grateful to this technology who gave me every part, helped me win what I at all times needed and at the moment, I’m leaving like this,” Di Maria stated. “It couldn’t be higher.”
In a match that began 1 hour, 22 minutes late due to crowd bother at Laborious Rock Stadium, Argentina gained its third straight main title following the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup and matched Spain, which gained the 2008 and 2012 European Championships across the 2010 World Cup.
Argentina additionally stopped Colombia’s 28-game unbeaten streak courting to a 1-0 loss to Albiceleste in a February 2022 World Cup qualifier, additionally on a Martínez purpose.
Martínez entered within the 97th minute Sunday and scored from Giovani Lo Celso’s excellent move after Leandro Paredes stripped the ball from a Colombian with a sliding sort out close to the middle stripe. Paredes exchanged passes with Martínez, then threaded the ball to Lo Celso, who one-timed a via ball as Martínez sprinted previous defender Carlos Cuesta.
Martínez ran onto the ball, took a contact that despatched him into the penalty space and struck a right-foot shot via the upraised arms of sliding goalkeeper Camilo Vargas for his twenty ninth worldwide purpose, his tournament-high fifth.
Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo stated many Colombia gamers completed with extreme cramping. Temperatures had been within the higher 80s with humidity round 73%.
“It’s not simple to play a closing. It’s not simple for anybody,” Lorenzo stated via an interpreter. “They performed six matches in 21 days and began feeling the outcomes. All of them left feeling cramps, a few of them in each legs. All of them left the pitch feeling the wear and tear down and the tiredness.”
Making his thirty ninth and probably final Copa America look, Messi had one purpose within the event. He went down within the thirty sixth minute after his left ankle was caught by Santiago Arias however walked again onto the sector three minutes later.
Messi regarded to the bench as quickly as he fell to the sector within the second half, showing to know his event was over. He took off his proper boot as he walked off and slammed it in frustration, and his ankle appeared to swell. Along with his proper foot naked, he stood by the bench and raised his arms whereas teammates ran onto the sector when Martínez scored.
The beginning was delayed from 8 p.m. EDT to 9:22 p.m. due to crowd management points exterior the stadium, together with troves of followers breaching safety gates at a venue for use for the 2026 World Cup.
Days after Uruguay gamers had been concerned in a brawl with Colombia followers following their semifinal match in Charlotte, North Carolina, video confirmed followers climbing fences and railings to get contained in the championship match, with officers unable to maintain observe of who had bought tickets and who didn’t.
Laborious Rock Stadium launched a press release after the sport, saying the venue “takes satisfaction in internet hosting world-class occasions year-round in a secure and profitable method.”
“We perceive there are disillusioned ticket holders who weren’t capable of enter the stadium after the perimeter was closed,” the assertion stated, “and we’ll work in partnership with CONMEBOL to handle these particular person considerations. In the end, there’s nothing extra essential than the well being and security of all company and employees, and that can at all times stay our precedence.”
Colombia was extra aggressive and compelled goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez to make 4 saves within the first half, however Argentina started to threaten extra within the second.
Nicolás Tagliafico thought he scored within the seventy fifth minute however was dominated offside. Nicolás González, who changed Messi. was stopped by Vargas within the ninety fifth minute.
Quite a few gamers misplaced their footing throughout the second half of Sunday’s match. The grass was closely watered with sprinklers following the halftime efficiency by Colombian pop star Shakira, which prompted an prolonged halftime break.
Halftime was elevated from the conventional quarter-hour to round 25 minutes due to the efficiency.
Lorenzo was essential of the additional time earlier than the ultimate match, noting sanctions given to coaches for late second-half returns to the pitch earlier within the event. Sunday, he stated continuity in halftime guidelines can be finest to “safeguard the health and bodily aptitude of the gamers.”
Colombia’s James Rodríguez was chosen finest participant of the event, with six assists.
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AP Copa America protection: https://apnews.com/hub/copa-america