There’s something special about Argentina, but it isn’t their football. The three-time world champions stumbled their way to a second consecutive Copa America with a 1-0 extra-time win over Colombia on Sunday. It proved one thing: Argentina just keep winning.
That’s what champions do. Over the past four weeks in the United States, Argentina never found their best form. Their possession-based philosophy didn’t overwhelm their opponents. Lionel Messi, who won his 45th title as a professional for club and country, was a shadow of himself.
Messi was impactful in flashes but he has been hampered by a groin problem since the group-stage win over Chile on June 25, the day after he turned 37 years old. He was then substituted in the 66th minute of the final with what appeared to be a painful right ankle injury. Yet still, Argentina walked away with their third straight major trophy — the 2022 World Cup sandwiched between the 2021 Copa and this one — becoming the first South American team to do so. They have matched the great Spain side who achieved the same feat with two Euros and the intervening World Cup from 2008-12.
It wasn’t pretty — as so much of Sunday’s event in Miami wasn’t, given the delays and dangerous scenes outside the stadium — but Argentina did the only thing that matters in sport. Winning always outshines style. This side are not only the best national team in their country’s history, they are among the best national teams of all time.
“It was written — it had to be like this,” said winger Angel Di Maria. “I dreamt this. I dreamt that I would retire this way.”
Di Maria had announced he would retire from international football after the Copa America. On Sunday, the slender 36-year-old, nicknamed El Fideo (The Noodle), certainly played like it was his last match in an Argentina shirt.
“He’s had some spectacular games for us but today was one of the best,” head coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He had the energy to press high when others were faltering. He ran like he was 25. I tried to convince him to carry on, at least to play one more time in front of the Argentina people. He’s a legend.”
Just like Argentina played for Messi at the 2022 World Cup, this Copa America became a near-month-long tribute to Di Maria. He was honored the night before the final. Messi, the captain, handed Di Maria a national team kit that read “Gracias Fideo,” above the No 11 that he wore 145 times.
Messi is the face of the Argentina brand but when he embraced his close friend, it showed just how important Di Maria has been.
¡¡Simplemente GRACIAS, Fideo!!
No se puede decir más… pic.twitter.com/6ywNfRmlFN
— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) July 14, 2024
“I dreamed of retiring in this way. I have so many beautiful feelings,” Di Maria said. “I will be eternally grateful to this generation, which helped me achieve what I had always wanted.”
Argentina didn’t make a statement with their football; they lifted their 16th Copa America trophy by refusing to lose. Perhaps it’s true that the Argentina shirt, and everything it represents, can win matches on its own.
Colombia had not lost in 28 matches before Sunday. Their joyful style in this tournament had enamoured neutrals throughout. Captain James Rodriguez inspired his team to their third final and there was a sense before kick-off they could do it. Their flair on the ball and tenacity made them dangerous opponents.
It took until Lautaro Martinez’s 112th-minute goal to extinguish those hopes.
Martinez after scoring the extra-time winner (Juan Mabromata/AFP)
“Of the two finalists, one of them is setting a new era,” said Colombia manager Nestor Lorenzo. The 58-year-old Argentine was a player and teammate of Diego Maradona when Argentina lost the 1990 World Cup final to West Germany. On Sunday, he spoke about the pain of losing a final and empathized with his players. Lorenzo reiterated that this version of Argentina is more than just a fortunate turn of events.
Argentina couldn’t win anything for 28 years until Messi and this group of players ended that drought at the 2021 Copa America.
“This group has now been with Scaloni for seven years — I congratulate them,” Lorenzo said. “It’s been a spectacular cycle. They’re not on a streak, this is a new era for the Argentina national team. But we’re just getting started.”
This Copa America exposed some of Argentina’s vulnerabilities. Teams found success by attacking them on the wings and they struggled to put games away. Even though Martinez, the Inter Milan striker, ended the competition as top scorer with five goals, Argentina never found the net more than twice in a single game.
The Copa America, though, has never been about style. If that were the case, Colombia would’ve been crowned champions before the final even kicked off. When asked about his team’s form, Scaloni always avoided an answer that lent credence to his side’s subpar performances.
Scaloni celebrates Argentina’s victory over Colombia (Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)
With his wife and children inside the Hard Rock Stadium press conference room, Scaloni quashed the idea that Argentina had lost the ability to please, aesthetically.
“It’s gratifying to watch this group play,” he said. “Mentality is an important factor, but if you don’t play well, you don’t win. The team — beyond the fact that it was a tough, difficult, hard-fought match — played well and had scoring chances. If you don’t play well, there are other ways to win.”
Scaloni’s path to legendary status will be dissected for decades. His style of man-management and his history as a player have made him the perfect match for this team. He has introduced young players into the squad because the generational change is coming. But Scaloni has held on to veteran leaders such as Nicolas Otamendi, also 36, because experience is still valuable.
The culture that Scaloni has established feels unbreakable. He is unafraid to sit important players such as Di Maria or Martinez on the bench if the game calls for it. The players know their roles.
“I still have two years left,” Scaloni said when asked about his future. “But if the (federation) president offered me a 15-year contract, I’d sign it. The problem is that contracts have to be honored. What if I’m fired in year one? They’ll have 14 years hanging over them!”
As Argentina’s players celebrated on the pitch, Scaloni dodged staff members and walked directly towards Messi, who was hobbling gingerly. Scaloni hugged his captain, lifted him off the ground and planted a kiss on his cheek. Scaloni then embraced Di Maria tightly before sprinting towards Otamendi and jumping into the big center-back’s arms.
It was a message of gratitude towards the players who had suffered before guiding Argentina toward this era of success.
When Otamendi, Messi and Di Maria lifted the Copa America together as confetti floated around them, one couldn’t help but wonder if this era will soon have a new beginning.
(Top photo: Di Maria, Messi and Otamendi with the Copa America trophy. Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-07-14 13:00:00
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