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Scaloni Defends Messi After Missed Penalty as Argentina Advances to Copa América Semifinals

Posted : 05 July 2024

Argentina's national team head coach, Lionel Scaloni, cautioned against focusing too much on Lionel Messi's missed penalty after their victory over Ecuador at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, which secured their spot in the Copa América semifinals. The match saw La Albiceleste leading 1-0 for most of the game until Kevin Rodríguez's 91st-minute goal forced a penalty shootout. Messi was the first to take a penalty, but his attempt to chip the ball hit the crossbar, putting their progression in jeopardy.

 

Despite Messi's miss, goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez's heroics in the penalty shootout, with two crucial saves, overshadowed the miss and ensured the team's advance to the next round. Scaloni emphasized the collective effort of the team, stating in his post-match news conference, "He [Messi] played like the rest of the team, we are a team. This is a team, if the team played well, he played well. We have never separated the individual from the collective."

 

Messi ended the match with 32 touches, only one of which came inside the opposition's box. When questioned about whether Messi's absence due to injury in the last group-stage match affected his performance, Scaloni dismissed the notion. He explained that the opposing team had strategically planned to counter Messi, which turned the game into a tactical battle. Scaloni noted, "Leo had a good game, in the end, they also planned a game or system where when we had the ball, two defenders came to attack, so, this is a chess game."

 

Scaloni also confirmed that Messi's injury did not impact his performance, stating that Messi felt well even towards the end of the game. As Argentina now prepares for a semifinal against either Canada or Venezuela at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 9, Messi reflected on the team's approach, saying, "This team managed this like they always do, these types of competitions are day-to-day, and now we're thinking about the next game and not beyond."

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