Only one goal conceded and a decrease in ball possession throughout the tournament were recorded by the Albiceleste. A curious case is that of Lautaro Martínez: he was the top scorer of the Copa América, starting in only two of the six games of his national team.
Better impossible. The Argentine national team is going through one of the brightest moments in its football history. after going through unfortunate times, reaching the final but losing frequently. Today, the panorama is different. What he touches turns into a cup, Beyond the suspicions and animosity that have aroused this Copa America in the United States, just as it happened (in one way or another) at the World Cup in Qatar. Lautaro Martínez’s goal, in the 112th minute, gave Scaloneta the victory over Colombia, to continue multiplying the showcases.
What does the team leave behind on their journey across North America? For example, it is not necessary to demonstrate excessive dominance over the rival to generate danger and tip the balance. And this particular team reported that does not depend on the omnipresence of Lionel Messi to maintain competitiveness. It is a radical difference from the previous stages, where the good and bad results were due to Rosario’s actions. This was seen in Sunday’s duel. The Inter Miami player left due to an ankle injury, Nicolás González (one of Scaloni’s favorite players) came on and the team did not decline.
Argentina were not a brilliant team, but they showed skill in managing matches and exploiting favourable prospects. who gave him the Copa America box. Playing a semi-final against Canada is not the same as facing Uruguay or Brazil. Having one more day of rest than all your rivals in the round of 16 and having a quality squad (having a bench) is essential for a short tournament.
The transandean team finished the competition with nine goals scored and only one conceded (Ecuador did it). Emiliano Martínez completed five unbeaten hurdles. He ended up receiving the award for the best goalkeeper of the competition. In five of the six games he had more possession of the ball than his rival. The biggest difference was marked in the closing of the group against Peru, registering 74% of the participation. Of course, they reduced their possession in the knockout stages: 51% against Ecuador, in the quarter-finals, and against Canada, in the semi-finals. In the final, he had his lowest percentage: 44% against Colombia . Scaloni’s structure does not suffer if he gives up the initiative in the passages of the matches, given his virtues in the middle. Another fact: they had the 76% of successful passes in the opposite field (extract from Sofascore).
His first two games, against Canada and Chile, were the ones in which he had the most shots on goal: nine in each game. The opposite happened in the quarterfinal series against Ecuador, with only two shots on goal. Both with the statistics in hand and in the development of the game itself, the duel against La Tri ended up being the hardest for the Argentines, so much so that he only lost his balance during the penalty shootout.
The fight to be the starting center forward is one of the tightest and most bitter, because there are two cards: Julián Álvarez and Lautaro Martínez. The Manchester City forward beat his Inter colleague in the World Cup, but the Italian Serie A forward is in great form and he showed it in the Copa América. The former Racing player ended up being the tournament’s top scorer, with five goals, starting in only two of the six matches played by his country. He played an average of 37 minutes per game. He scored a goal every 44′.
Leo Messi had a mission: to become the only active top scorer in the Copa America. He didn’t get it. The former Barcelona and PSG player has scored 14 goals in his history in the competition, which has allowed him to reach the Chilean Eduardo Vargas and the Peruvian Paolo Guerrero, who did not score in the United States. The historical scorers of the event are the Argentinian Norberto Méndez and the Brazilian Zizinho, both with 17. Will he reach 2028?
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Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
