Argentina won their first main title in 28 years on Saturday when an Angel Di Maria goal gave them a 1-0 win over Brazil and a record-equalling fifteenth Copa America.
Argentina’s win was a particular triumph for Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, who picked up his first-ever title in a blue and white shirt after greater than a decade of the membership and particular person honors.
Di Maria began for simply the second time within the Copa and he justified his choice by scoring the opener halfway by the first half.
Renan Lodi failed to chop out a protracted ball ahead from Rodrigo De Paul and Di Maria lobbed the stranded Ederson with aplomb.
Brazil piled on the stress in an exciting second half however even with 5 strikers on the field they might not get an equalizer towards an Argentine defense protected by the excellent De Paul.
“I am unable to cry but,” Di Maria stated after the match. “We dreamed of getting this, and we fought. Many people criticized us and requested us to not come again [to the national team].”
The match itself was a disappointing one, with Argentina the higher aspect in a cagey first half that featured 21 fouls.
“First now we have to congratulate our opponents particularly for the primary half after they neutralized us,” stated Brazilian defender Thiago Silva.
“Within the second half there was no contest — just one staff tried to play soccer, the opposite simply wasted time as we knew they’d. It isn’t an excuse, we did not do what we needed to, principally within the first half.”
The Argentine players surrounded their captain on the ultimate whistle. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez celebrated what he referred to as a Maracanazo, a remarkable win on the well-known Rio stadium.
“I am speechless,” he stated. “I knew my dream would come true, and the place higher than the Maracanazo and giving the title to the perfect on the planet and fulfilling his dream.”
Messi finished the event’s joint-top goalscorer with 4 targets and was elected joint-best participant together with Neymar. But he was quiet all through and uncharacteristically missed a golden alternative to wrap the game up with two minutes remaining.
When the final whistle went, Argentina TV declared “Argentina Champions, Lionel Messi Champion!”
“It is a very big title,” stated Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni. “I hope that Argentines can take pleasure in it. The followers love the staff unconditionally and I believe they identify with this aspect that never drops its guard.”
The victory was Argentina’s fifteenth Copa America triumph and means they draw stage with Uruguay as the all-time main winners.
Their win extended their sequence of undefeated matches to twenty underneath Lionel Scaloni and handed Brazil their first aggressive defeat since they lost to Belgium within the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup.
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