da pinnacle： Julian Alvarez proved his value to Argentina, as his goal set tone and led club to Copa America final
da luck： After all, Lionel Messi did show up.
The Argentine had received his fair share of criticism in what had been a goal-less run in the Copa America, and with good reason. His performance had been far short of his usual standards in his nation’s colors.
They beat Canada 2-0 in the Copa semifinals at MetLife Stadium, and advanced to Sunday's final, awaiting the winner of Colombia-Uruguay. And in reality it was never really that close. La Albiceleste strolled through the game for the most part.
Julian Alvarez may have done enough to earn himself a spot in the XI for good, with the Man City forward finally finding his best at the right time – and did so while Messi returned to his usual self.
Clean, concise, and in the right place at the right time. Age aside, Messi remains crucial to Argentina's success.
Canada offered some attacking ideas. They have certainly improved in such a short period of time under Jesse Marsch.
“I've been saying that it'll be hard when we're all done to say goodbye because I've really enjoyed the process with this team, and I think we've made a lot of progress together," Marsch said postgame. "I took this job seven weeks ago. I couldn't have imagined that I'd be right here right now … 'm really happy with the team and really happy with the progress."
Alphonso Davies caused problems, but exited the game with an injury – and Canada's dreams ended with his substitution late. In the end, they lacked the clinical nature of the reigning champions, and it showed.
And Argentina simply stood taller. Lionel Scaloni has now led this side to three straight tournament finals. Chances are, he is in line for a third win. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from MetLife Stadium.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Julian Alvarez
Argentina's team picks itself these days. Scaloni has mostly the same group of players that won the 2022 World Cup, and with no injuries to contend with, the manager doesn't have many big decisions to make. But the form of Lautaro Martinez – who turned in a number of impressive showings in the group stage – complicated things for Scaloni. Here, he decided to stick with Alvarez, who had played such a crucial role in Qatar 18 months ago. And his decision paid dividends.
Alvarez wasn't relentlessly involved in play. But he made a constant impact. He made all of the right runs into space, fought for loose balls, and hounded the Canada backline. When his moment came, Alvarez pounced, taking his goal well after making a smart run between the split center backs. Scaloni, it seems, made the right call.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Alphonso Davies
The Bayern Munich man faces a number of questions about his future. His contract in Germany is running down, and there is reportedly little talk of a new deal to stay in Bavaria. Linked with a move abroad, Real Madrid has shown immense interest, but nothing has arrived in concrete form.
This summer, then, figured to be something of a distraction – if not an opportunity for a top-tier talent to re-assert himself as a global star. And for three weeks, all looked well. Davies has been integral to this Canada side's surprise success, scampering up and down the left wing with glee.
On Tuesday, though, his luck ran out. Davies enjoyed some good moments, and made important driving runs early on. But early in the second half, his ankle gave out, forcing the captain off the pitch – and seeing his side's slim final hopes fade away as a result.
Post-game, it was revealed he was taken to a local hospital for X-rays on what appeared to be an ankle injury. Marsch was concise with his commentd, leaving much to speculation.
“We’re hopeful he’s OK but we’re not sure," the manager said.
Getty ImagesWINNER: Lionel Messi
It has been a less-than-perfect tournament for the Argentine in the country he now calls home. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has been short of his usual best for weeks, failing to find the net, and strolling around even more than usual. This was a player who didn't look particularly fit, whose last big moment for his national team may have slipped away.
Of course, that all changed. Because this is Messi, and Messi does Messi things.
His goal wasn't exactly a beauty – he rolled the ball in off a deflected shot from two yards out. But his impact on the game throughout was vital. He picked up the ball in pockets of space, created problems with his movement and threaded passes.
Canada refused to man-mark the Argentine, and felt the impact dearly. Too often, numerous defenders slid towards him, and opened up gaps elsewhere. This was the perfect example of a late career Messi performance – one in which he was seldom on the ball, but made the most of his chances. Another international trophy might await.
Getty ImagesWINNER: The Copa America
Well, the fans got at least one finalist they wanted. Brazil-Argentina would have been a dream rematch (even if the Selecao have struggled of late.) Of course, Brazil were bounced from the competition last week. And the presumptive favorites stayed alive with the win against Canada.
International tournaments tend to be about spectacle. The big teams are supposed to play the big matches in front of as many fans as possible. The Copa America, in other words, Argentina in the final. They will have a tough time against the winner of Cololmbia-Uruguay, but they will certainly be considered likely winners in the fixture – an outcome that can only be good for the tournament.