Chile swept through the group and knockout stages with relative ease but benefited from being drawn against weaker teams, with referee decisions also tending to go their way.
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Manchester United defender Rojo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Pastore had given Argentina a 2-0 lead midway through the first half before Paraguay pulled one back through Lucas Barrios.
On the eve of the clash in Santiago, Medel said they were focused on sharpening communication after they only just edged Peru 2-1 in the semi-finals.
Since then, they have failed in seven Copa Americas and six World Cups, with Messi playing in five of those tournaments.
Argentina star Javier Mascherano called for calm in the countdown to the Copa America final against Chile, with both nations desperate to succeed in Santiago on Sunday (HK time). However, in 1991 they won the tournament, which was the last time it was held in Chile. The best it ever did was get second place back in 1955, when it hosted as well. I am Argentine and I don’t have Chilean nationality, but I am excited by the chance to make Chile champion. Argentina top Group B with seven points scoring just four goals and conceding two.
Argentina produced an extraordinary exhibition of attacking football in the semi-finals as they humiliated Paraguay 6-1, while Chile overcame Peru 2-1 in the other final-four fixture. “We will always have a bitter taste from the final with Germany, but winning the Copa would give us much happiness”, he said.
Argentina’s national team players, Lionel Messi (left) and Pablo Zabaleta (right), during a training session at the CAP stadium in Talcahuano city, Chile, yesterday.
Chile have beaten Argentina once in 38 competitive matches.
“We are not afraid”, Bravo said.
“We knew the goals would come eventually”, Messi said through a translator.
“For a lot of people it would be enough to have reached the final”, said Claudio Bravo, the Barcelona goalkeeper who is the national team’s most experienced player all-time with almost 100 caps.
Lionel Messi did not score a single goal on their way to a 6-1 victory, but he was responsible for five of them, via The Guardian.
Argentina will now meet Chile in the final on Saturday – the favorites against the hosts – and will be looking to draw level with Uruguay as the most successful team in Copa America history.
Saturday’s decider will mark Argentina’s second major final in the space of a year, having reached the World Cup showpiece in 2014.
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The final round of this year’s Copa America will see two teams coming off different momentums from their semifinal matches.
