On the morning of June 26, Messi played hard to help the Argentina team conquer their ‘old enemy’ Chile with a narrow 1-0 victory in the second match of Group A, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, filled with nearly 82,000 spectators.

The only goal of the match was scored by striker Lautaro Martinez, who came off the bench in the 88th minute. But the great credit goes to Messi ‘s tireless efforts in trying to create dangerous situations at the end of the match from corner kicks.

The second consecutive win in the early group stage helped Argentina (6 points) get a ticket to the quarterfinals, because in the remaining match in Group A, Canada beat Peru 1-0 to get the first 3 points. Teams Peru and Chile have only 1 point after 2 matches.

Coach Scaloni made a few changes to the Argentina team’s lineup, leaving Di Maria as a reserve and using Nicolas Gonzalez instead. In defense, defender Tagliafico replaced Marcos Acuna. Messi is still the one leading the Albiceleste’s play with striker Julian Alvarez on the front line.

However, these changes have not really brought about the expected effect. Argentina’s attack power is not strong and diverse enough, causing Chile’s defense to face major obstacles. In the first half, Argentina’s best chance was Messi’s shot hitting the post in the 35th minute after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (Chile) was overshot.

The dominant position of the Argentinian team was maintained throughout the second half, when they created 22 shots and held 61.3% of the time controlling the ball on the field, but still could not subdue the goalkeeper’s goal. Claudio Bravo and the Chilean team’s defense.

Near the end of the match, the Argentinian defense still had to go through many difficult times when the Chilean team unleashed their strength to attack, creating many opportunities to cause goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s goal to stagger.

In a deadlock situation, coach Scaloni’s changes such as bringing Lautaro Martinez, Di Maria, and Lo Celso onto the field in the last 20 minutes of the match were effective.

In particular, Messi’s efforts opened up the situation for the Argentina team before the possibility of being defeated by rival Chile to achieve a draw.

In the 88th minute, after a corner kick directly into goalkeeper Claudio Bravo’s goal was unsuccessful, in the next kick, the famous player who had just turned 37 took a corner kick into the middle of the penalty area, helping Lo Celso finish but The ball is cleared. Striker Lautaro Martinez suddenly appeared to kick back to the near corner to open the score 1-0 for Argentina.

This last minute goal brought a sweet victory for Argentina and Messi against Chile, the team that made them miserable 8 years ago also at MetLife Stadium when they won after a penalty shootout in the final match. Copa America 2016 conclusion.

In the final match of Group A Copa America 2024, Argentina will meet Peru at 7:00 a.m. on June 30. Coach Scaloni can use the reserve squad after having already booked a ticket to the quarterfinals and secured the top spot in the group.