On the day Lionel Messi was absent due to injury, striker Lautaro Martinez scored twice to help Argentina beat Peru 2-0, thereby ending the group stage of Copa America 2024 with a perfect record and not even conceding a goal.
A fine pass from Angel Di Maria led to Martinez’s first goal in the 47th minute. The Inter Milan star then went to hug Messi, who was standing near the Argentina bench. Martinez revealed after the match: “I went to hug Leo because of everything he means to us.”
The 26-year-old doubled the lead for the champions in the 86th minute, continuing to show that this could be the tournament that takes him to the next level. Martinez has scored in all three of his 2024 Copa America group stage matches and currently leads the tournament with four goals. It was his seventh goal in seven international games this year – just one short of his most productive year, eight in 13 games in 2019 – and took his total for the Albiceleste to 28 in 61 games. “Every time I wear this shirt, I like it,” Martinez said. “A lot of people want to wear this shirt. I work to show the coach that I am ready to play when he needs me.”
Messi was absent from Argentina’s 1-0 win over Chile on Tuesday, nursing a hamstring injury. Coach Lionel Scaloni was also absent due to a one-match ban. With their place in the quarter-finals already secured, Argentina fielded nine changes to their line-up. However, the reigning South American and World champions showed they were too strong, controlling 74% of the ball for the third straight game. And despite being held to a goalless draw in the first half for the third straight game, Argentina’s ability to improve and win is one of the things that makes this tournament so special.
Argentina are now waiting to see who will be the runners-up in Group B, which concludes on Sunday – with winners Venezuela playing Jamaica, and runners-up Ecuador playing Mexico. Of course, the biggest concern is how ready Messi will be for the knockout stages. Assistant manager Walter Samuel, who replaced Scaloni as match official, gave an optimistic update: “I spoke to Leo and he is better. But it’s only been a few days and it’s too early to say. We want to continue listening to him and the doctors’ assessment.”
The quarter-finals begin on July 4, with Argentina and Canada the only other team to advance from Group A after a goalless draw with Chile. Goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was the hero with three brilliant saves to send Canada into the Copa America quarter-finals in their first appearance. Jesse Marsch’s side will face the winners of Group B in the quarter-finals. Canada are bidding to become only the fourth team to win more than one game in their first Copa America appearance – after Uruguay in 1916, Mexico in 1993 and Honduras, who won three on their debut in 2001.
Meanwhile, Chile, winners of the inaugural Copa America in the United States in 2016, exited the tournament without scoring a single goal – the only time Chile failed to score in a Copa America was in 1917.
