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Argentina 0-0 Chile (2-4 pens): Messi bows out of international football after penalty miss
Messi called time on his international career following a heartbreaking defeat to Chile on penalties in the Copa America final.
Lionel Messi has every ability to hit the top corner of the net nine times out of ten from twelve yards out and Argentina fans would have been happy if he could have simply hit the target this time. Yet the world’s best player skied a crucial spot-kick for Argentina as they were defeated by Chile on penalties in the final of the Copa America Centenario.
This was supposed to be Messi’s moment to lead Argentina to victory and exorcise his demons with the national team, ending their twenty-three-year trophy drought. Instead, he ended up in tears after the crushing defeat and made the controversial decision to retire from international football, or so he said in the heat of the moment.
The decision was fueled by years of frustration and resentment with the Argentine Football Association, torn apart by power struggles at the top, and just two days ago Messi labeled the organization a “disaster” in a social media post. Tonight’s defeat in front of an 82,000-strong crowd at MetLife Stadium appeared to enlarge the cracks in their already fractious relationship.
If this is truly his last ever international game it will be a bitter and regretful exit for the man who just turned twenty-nine.
It was Messi’s third major final defeat with Argentina in the past three years and they have gone goalless in all of them. Although the Barcelona superstar has carried Argentina to the final on all three occasions, lifting them past the United States in the Copa semifinals this time around, glory has thus far eluded him by the tiniest of margins.
As the standard bearer of Argentine football, Messi has undeservedly received the brunt of the disappointment in years past, though this is the first time he has directly contributed to one of Argentina’s final defeats.
Messi had an excellent first half, drawing two yellow cards from Chile defender Marcelo Diaz, yet Marcos Rojo’s clumsy red card mitigated Argentina’s numerical advantage on the brink of the break. Gonzalo Higuain fluffed a golden opportunity to put Argentina up in a one-on-one situation and although Eduardo Vargas tested Sergio Romero from a tight angle near the end of the first half, Argentina saw the better of the chances.
Messi blazed a wild effort wide with moments left on the clock and curled a beautiful free-kick into the box in extra-time for Sergio Aguero to head towards the top corner; but for Claudio Bravo’s incredible finger-tip save, Argentina would have had the lead.
Yet neither side could break the deadlock in open play and penalties ensued. With Arturo Vidal having Chile’s first attempt saved, Messi stepped up to put Argentina within inches of the title.
He missed. Badly.
It was a poor penalty, blazing well over the bar. Lucas Biglia then missed another for Argentina and Francisco Silva converted to give Chile their second straight Copa victory.
After falling painfully short at the last hurdle, Messi realized he might not get a better chance to lead Argentina to victory. And if he can’t end the drought, who can?
Homepage photo credit: Fanny Schertzer [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons