“We knew it would be very physical,” he said. “All the games are physical, and Chile are tough. They had a lot on the line … but we achieved our objective, winning and we’re into the quarterfinals.”
Argentina are the first nation to qualify from the groups, with one game still to play, facing Peru in Miami on Saturday.
“We deserved to win,” coach Lionel Scaloni said. “The game wasn’t easy. We won it at the moment you least expected it. The team kept believing and attacking. The win is deserved because Argentina made all the effort, but it was very tough.”
Forward Martinez has scored five goals in his past five games for the national team — and in both Copa América matches — but started on the bench against Chile, with Julián Álvarez keeping his place.
Editor’s Picks
2 Related
“Lautaro and Julian can play together,” Scaloni said. “It’s about finding a balance. Today, Lautaro scored the goal. He’s the first who’s happy. Julian is the second and I’m the third.”
“These games are tough. We have to keep playing this way, it’s going to be difficult,” Martinez said. “[Chile] sat back, with a line of five, but we’re happy because in the end we got the three points. It’s a relief, I play for my family, they suffer, so I’m happy.”
Chile will need to beat Canada in their last group game to qualify for the next round after Canada beat Peru 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.
Source link : https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/40432959/argentina-survive-messi-scare-advance-copa-america-quarterfinals-tough-chile-win
Author :
Publish date : 2024-06-26 01:27:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
