In a profession with completely nothing left to show, Lionel Messi really achieved a primary on Tuesday night time.
Twenty 4 hours after followers swarmed his lodge room with cake and birthday well-wishes, the Argentine star stepped onto the MetLife Stadium area as a newly-minted 37-year-old.
And after laboring for almost your entire match, he and Argentina would lastly get their icing on the cake as Lautaro Martinez fired in a late rebound winner to beat Chile 1-0 in New Jersey.
On the stability, this was a deserved Argentina win, although it began to really feel much less probably the longer Chile clanged on.
Martinez, a second-half substitute, ensured Argentina received all three factors as he scored off a nook within the 88th minute.
Lionel Messi of Argentina controls the ball throughout Chile on Tuesday night time at MetLife Stadium
A younger fan of Argentina holds a Lionel Messi signal forward of the Conmebol 2024 Copa America event group A soccer match between Chile and Argentina
The start of the primary half was the type of cagey affair that you just would possibly anticipate from a pair of nations which have twice confronted one another in Copa America finals.
Chile, after an incisive Mauricio Isla cross briefly spooked their opponents, initially appeared glad to cede possession however grew progressively beneath strain because the half wore on.
The primary signal of hazard got here within the twenty second minute – a literal warning shot from Julian Alvarez, as Nico Gonzalez discovered him with a neat cross into the field.
The Man Metropolis ahead’s effort from contained in the field was vastly undercooked and simply caught by Claudio Bravo, however Chile’s cracks had began to indicate and Argentina smelled blood.
They’d finish a dominant – but profligate – first 45 with 13 photographs to Chile’s 0.
Rodrigo de Paul (unsuccessfully) shot from distance a number of occasions, whereas Alvarez additionally spurned a number of extra half-chances, essentially the most promising of which noticed him latch onto a bouncing ball together with his head when the Chilean protection fell asleep.
That likelihood, like his earlier try from Gonzalez’s feed, was simply neutralized by Bravo because it bounced off the bottom into the 41-year-old’s arms.
Messi, awoken after being fouled and left in a heap shortly after Alvarez’s (first) miss, whizzed a shot off the submit within the thirty sixth minute from all of 30 yards.
However his most memorable second from the primary half wasn’t even that near the objective.
Chile’s Dario Osorio makes an attempt to dam a shot from Argentina’s Nicolas Tagliafico
Argentinian followers cheer earlier than the Conmebol 2024 Copa America event group A soccer match between Chile and Argentina
At one level, selecting up the ball in midfield, he effortlessly slalomed previous a number of defenders earlier than dumping it off to a teammate. It was the kind of second he is usually produced in his twenty years of brilliance seen debuting at 17, and on this case, one which brought about a moderately partial press field clap their fingers in delight.
However Argentina would fail to interrupt the impasse earlier than the primary half.
Within the subsequent interval, La Albiceleste would choose up the place they left off, with Messi orchestrating the primary likelihood.
He drove via the center within the fiftieth minute earlier than supplying Nahuel Molina, who shot straight at Bravo.
Minutes later, Lisandro Martinez discovered house throughout a set piece however could not fairly get a toe on the ball.
Issues virtually got here to a crescendo when Gonzalez rattled the crossbar within the 61st minute together with his left foot. It was an indication of Argentina’s frustrations on the night time when he fouled his opponent instantly after, and the tide would briefly begin to change quickly after.
Messi appeared to have missed his greatest likelihood of the sport within the 68th minute, dinking over from shut after a superbly weighted ball excessive, however the play was dominated offside and shortly Argentina’s goalie Emi Martinez was lastly made to sweat.
Chile, lastly, started to seek out openings within the coronary heart of Argentina’s protection, and Rodrigo Echeverría twice pressured sturdy low saves from Martinez with the midfielder given house close to the highest of the field.
However Argentina continued to push.
Messi, ever audacious, was compelled to strive an Olimpico that did not fairly squeeze in however pressured Bravo to tip over.
The subsequent play noticed one other nook, a scramble across the field and a assured sidefoot end from Martinez that Argentina deserved.
