Superstar Lionel Messi on Saturday won his first trophy with his national team as Angel Di Maria’s goal gave Argentina a 1-0 win over hosts Brazil in the Copa America final.
The victory at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium ended Argentina’s 28-year wait for a major trophy, and also ended Brazil’s unbeaten home record that stretched back more than 2,500 days.
Argentina had last tasted success at a major tournament in 1993, when the great Gabriel Batistuta’s brace gave them a 2-1 win over Mexico in the Copa final in Ecuador.
Photo: AFP
“It’s a great title, especially for our people. The fans support the team unconditionally. I think they can identify with this team that never gives in,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
It was the first time in six editions playing at home that Brazil had failed to lift the trophy.
While 34-year-old Messi’s odyssey has come to an end, Brazil’s Neymar, five years his junior, is still without a major title at the international level, having missed the Selecao’s win on home soil two years ago through injury.
Argentina edged a brutal and fractious affair thanks to Di Maria’s goal on 22 minutes.
The 33-year-old winger ran onto Rodrigo De Paul’s sumptuous through ball to lob Brazil goalkeeper Ederson with a first time finish.
“We fell short so many times, we dreamt so much about this, fought so hard,” said Di Maria, who was named man of the match.
“Many people said we wouldn’t manage it, we were criticized a lot, but we kept knocking at the door and kept going until today we knocked it down and entered,” he added.
Messi could have wrapped up the win two minutes from time, but slipped when clean through with only Ederson to beat.
“We have to be big enough to recognize [the defeat] regardless of how painful and difficult it is,” Brazil coach Tite said.
In a frantic start, Argentina’s burly enforcer Nicolas Otamendi was quickly in with his first foul, while Brazilian midfielder Fred picked up the first booking after just three minutes for a studs up lunge at Gonzalo Montiel.
The brutal nature of the early challenges could be seen on the players’ uniforms.
Neymar was sporting ripped shorts and Lucas Paqueta was left with a hole in his sock following an intervention by Otamendi.
Increasingly it descended into a fractious, niggly affair with little fluid play between fouls and a plethora of theatrics and petulant bickering.
It was playing into Argentina’s hands as they looked to run down the clock and hold onto their slender lead.
“Only one team wanted to play. It’s a trap we knew about. That’s not an excuse,” Brazil captain Thiago Silva said.
“It’s difficult to play such a stop-start match,” he added.
Brazil managed to increase the pressure again at the end of the half, but they lacked a killer touch against some full-blooded defending — Montiel even finished the game with his white sock soaked in blood.
When Brazil substitute Gabriel Barbosa fired a volley on target, Martinez was equal to it.
Messi slipped embarrassingly late on with a chance to clinch victory, but it mattered little as moments later his teammates were tossing him in the air to celebrate their win.
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