Superstar Lionel Messi scored and added two assists in his first Copa America start this year to lead Argentina over Venezuela 4-1 on Saturday night and into a semifinal match against the host United States.
Advertisement
Messi’s goal on the hour mark put his side 3-0 up and was the 54th time he has found the back of the net for the national team – equalling the record set by Gabriel Batistuta.
“We’re on the right track, but it will be very hard playing in front of the American crowd”.
Chile routed Mexico, 7-0, on Saturday night in Santa Clara, Calif., behind four goals from Eduardo Vargas. In the previous game, he came off the bench to score a hat-trick versus Panama in group play.
Making the task more hard will be the absence of midfielders Jermaine Jones and Alejandro Bedoya and forward Bobby Wood, all of whom will sit out the match because of cards received in the 2-1 win over Ecuador on Thursday. “Physically they are a very strong team and they can do a lot of damage if they are allowed to play”, warned Messi. The Americans have played outstanding defense during a three-game winning streak, surrendering only one goal combined over that stretch after knocking out Ecuador 2-1 in the quarters last Thursday.
If they manage to overcome Columbia, Argentina or the United States will then await them in the final, and Vidal knows that Messi can make the difference.
Gonzalo Higuain (8th, 28th minutes) struck twice for the 14-time champions while Lionel Messi (60th) and Erik Lamela (71st) scored once each.
While acknowledging the enormous challenge that lies ahead, usa captain Michael Bradley also said, “We don’t want to make this out to be a ‘Mission Impossible'”.
However, Luis Seijas would step up and hit a paneka chip right at Romero who caught the ball easily and kept Venezuela scoreless in the first half.
“I think it’s special that with all the people that doubted us and all the people who didn’t think we could make it this far, he brought the group together, kind of blocked the negativity and stayed positive on the inside”.
KEEP ON ROLLING: Argentina entered the knockout stages as the only team to go a flawless 3-0 in its group, and it did not take long to see why.
Should the USA advance to a tournament final by knocking off Lionel Messi and Co., it would go down as the crowning achievement of the Klinsmann era to date.
Along with the four ripped shirts there was another unusual sight as the ball burst in the second half of a draw that sealed Switzerland’s place in the last 16, alongside an already-qualified France.
Advertisement
“It’s probably the best performance I’ve been involved in with Wales”, Bale said. U.S. has never made the final of the Copa America.
