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| 출처=BR 풋볼 |
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| EPAYonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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Argentina, led by Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), beat Canada led by coach Jesse March to reach the Copa America final.
Argentina won 2-0 against Canada at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on the 10th (Korea time) thanks to consecutive goals from Julián Álvarez (Man City) in the first half and Messi in the second half in the 2024 Copa America semifinals.
As a result, Argentina, which passed the group stage in all three games and beat Ecuador in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout, advanced to the final for the second consecutive tournament following the 2021 tournament. The winner of the match between Colombia and Uruguay, which will be held on the 11th, will face off in the final on the 14th.
If Messi wins this tournament, he will build a three-game winning streak in the majors following the Copa America in 2021 and the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
In the aftermath of his injury, Messi continued to perform unnamed at this tournament. In the semi-final against Ecuador, he played as the No. 1 kicker in the penalty shootout, but even that missed. He relied on the performance of his fellow strikers, including Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), who scored four goals, and the ability of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa). Naturally, he was tied with Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr), who scored 0 goals at Euro 2024.
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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However, he showed off his presence on the day at the crossroads of advancing to the finals. Álvarez's first goal in the 22nd minute of the first half gave Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 6th minute of the second half. Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)'s mid-range shot towards the goal turned slightly in front of the goal. After the video reading system (VAR) was in operation, it was recognized as a score.
Messi's goal in this tournament increased his score to six tournaments with consecutive Copa goals since the 2007 tournament. Tied with Brazilian legend Gizinho. It is also ranked third in Copa's all-time oldest scoring rankings, behind Angel Lavruna and Rafa Marquez. Messi scored a total of 14 goals in Copa, chasing the record of most goals scored by 'Argentina Senior'Nolbertu Mendes and Giuseppe (17 goals).
Earlier, Ronaldo finished his last Euro bitterly by shooting a total of 23 shots and not scoring a single goal at Euro 2024, where he represented Portugal. The team also lost to France in the quarterfinals and was eliminated. Messi is walking a different path. Argentina is one step away from winning the tournament for the first time in 21 years since 1991-1993.
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| AFP Yonhap News |
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yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
