Lionel Messi and Argentina secured their passage to the Copa America 2021 final after beating Colombia in the semi-final. Both teams found the net during regular time before the Albiceleste beat their opponents on penalties.
The most recent memories of Copa America as a whole are of an inconsolable Messi following Argentina’s final defeats in 2015 and 2016. Both times the Albiceleste were beaten by Chile, and both times they were beaten on penalties. So when Argentina’s semi-final match against Colombia went to a shootout, many feared the worst for one of the better teams of the 2021 edition of the competition. But, Argentina relinquished demons of their past as they emerged victoriously.
Argentina started the match on a positive note, with Messi carving out an early opportunity for Nicholas Gonzalez with his trademark mazy run. Gonzalez did well to connect his head to the subsequent cross in the first place but ended up missing the target by some distance.
Lautaro Martinez ensured that his strike from close range hit the back of the net in the seventh minute, when, once again, Messi took the Colombian defenders out of the game single-handedly before laying the ball on a plate for his compatriot.
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Colombia went close at the other end; Juan Cuadrado saw his shot saved by Emiliano Martinez before Yerry Mina hit the crossbar from a corner. Meanwhile, Gonzalez was denied by David Ospina from close range, as Argentina went into the break with a narrow lead.
Porto’s Luis Diaz levelled the game again just past the hour mark. The winger was afforded acres of space on the left side, ran through towards goal, and curled the ball past Martinez. Neither team found the net until the full-time whistle from then on, and the match went into a penalty shootout, subsequently.
Messi scored for Argentina, along with Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez, although Rodrigo De Paul missed his spot-kick. Nonetheless, Argentina were declared the victors as Colombia missed three of their five penalties, with Mina, Davinson Sanchez, and Edwin Cardona all spurning their chances.
