Argentina capped off their Copa America 2024 group stage campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Peru, solidifying their place at the top of Group A. The win came despite the absence of star player Lionel Messi, who watched the game from the bench alongside coach Lionel Scaloni.
Lionel Messi recovers
Lionel Messi, listed as a substitute but sporting non-matching blue shorts, sat out the match due to a lingering groin injury sustained earlier in the tournament. Coach Scaloni, meanwhile, served a one-game suspension for a delay in Argentina’s return to the field during a previous match.
Lautaro Martinez takes center stage
Despite the high-profile absences, Lautaro Martinez stepped up for Argentina. The striker opened the scoring just two minutes after halftime, tapping in an assist from Angel Di Maria.
He sealed the win with a well-placed chip shot over Peru’s goalkeeper in the 86th minute, bringing his tournament goal tally to an impressive four. The goals solidified Martinez’s position as the Copa America’s leading scorer after the group stage.
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Lionel Messi absent but not forgotten
While fans eager to see Messi in action were left disappointed, the sold-out crowd erupted in cheers whenever the superstar appeared on the stadium’s big screens. Argentina now awaits the winner of Sunday’s Mexico vs. Ecuador clash to determine their quarter-final opponent on July 4th.
With a potential final scheduled for the same Hard Rock Stadium on July 14th, Argentinian supporters might yet get their chance to see Messi light up his new hometown pitch.
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