Argentina reached the semi-finals of the Copa America but suffered a major scare along the way.
Lionel Messi returned from a leg injury that kept him out of the final group game against Peru, and provided the corner kick from which Lisandro Martinez gave the defending champions the lead in the first half.
Argentina conceded a penalty on the hour mark but Ecuador captain Enner Valencia hit the post and then Ecuador equalised in added time, against the run of play through Kevin Rodriguez, to take the quarter-final to penalties.
Messi missed Argentina’s opening goal but penalty king Emiliano Martinez saved the day by stopping Ecuador twice to send his side through to the last four.
“I wasn’t ready to go home,” he said afterwards. “This group deserves to continue.”
Martinez celebrates saving two penalties (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Felipe Cardenas and Paul Tenorio dissect the main talking points from NRG Stadium, Houston…
How was this game won?
2-0. 1-0. 2-0. 1-0… and then chaos.
Argentina were seconds away from a semi-final spot, having not conceded a goal in the Copa America group stage, and that’s when Kevin Rodriguez scored to force a penalty shootout. Emi Martinez, it’s your turn…
Argentina 0-0 Ecuador. Missed! Messi attempts a Panenka but hits the crossbar.
(Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Argentina 0-0 Ecuador. Stop! Angel Mena saved by Emi Martinez.
Argentina 1-0 Ecuador. Goal! Julian Alvarez, with a powerful right-footed shot into the top corner.
Argentina 1-0 Ecuador. Save! Alan Minda’s shot was saved by Martinez.
Argentina 2-0 Ecuador. Goal! Alexis Mac Allister showed great composure.
Argentina 2-1. Goal! John Yeboah with a powerful strike.
Argentina 3-1. Goal! Gonzalo Montiel doesn’t hesitate.
Argentina 3-2. Goal! Jordy Caicedo beat Martinez. Fair enough.
Argentina 4-2. Goal! Nicolas Otamendi puts Argentina in the semi-finals!
Messi is back. How did he behave?
What are the chances of Messi missing a penalty? The Argentina number 10 attempted a Panenka that fell short, and cheers were heard throughout the stadium when Messi’s shot failed to find the back of the net.
Ecuador felt they had Messi under control for the first 45 minutes. He didn’t look physically limited after missing the group stage final, but after half an hour he had only touched the ball 11 times in the match. Every time Messi stepped out to try to win the ball in space, Ecuador closed in on multiple defenders. They weren’t going to let him hide near the touchline to find space.
32 – Lionel Messi touched the ball 32 times against Ecuador, his fewest in an official match in which he played the full 90 minutes for Argentina (World Cup, Qualifiers and Copa America) since 2011. Exception. pic.twitter.com/QxWc1zXjoc
– OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) July 5, 2024
But in the next five minutes, Messi showed that it only takes a little space and a few touches of the ball to change the course of the match. In the 34th minute, he sent a beautiful pass to Enzo Fernandez who gave the Chelsea player a chance, but his shot was blocked and went for a corner. A minute later, Messi served that corner which was deflected by Alexis Mac Allister and finished at the far post by Lisandro Martinez. And that was it: 1-0 to Argentina.
Paul Tenorio
Valencia had a tournament to forget, didn’t they?
The veteran striker had an incredible tournament at the World Cup in Qatar, scoring three goals in three games. This Copa America was, uh, less memorable.
Valencia was shown a red card for a high kick in the 20th minute of Ecuador’s opening match against Venezuela, leaving his team shorthanded for most of the 2-1 loss. Valencia was then shown a yellow card half an hour into Thursday’s match for a foul on Mac Allister.
But it was Valencia’s penalty attempt in the 62nd minute that hurt the most. Emiliano Martinez dove in the opposite direction, but Valencia failed to touch his shot, which hit the left post and bounced wide.
(Juan Mabromata/AFP via Getty Images)
It was a clumsy penalty that looked as if Valencia were trying so hard to read the goalkeeper’s dive that they failed to strike the ball with any conviction, squandering Ecuador’s best chance of an equaliser.
He was substituted in the 80th minute when the score was 1-0 to Argentina.
Paul Tenorio
Finally a first half goal for Argentina… Was Messi aiming for an Olimpico?
Messi has won everything. He has scored hundreds of goals on several continents. But he has yet to score directly from a corner.
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Nicknamed “Olimpico”, Messi looked set to score a goal when his venomous pass from the corner flag flew towards Ecuador’s near post. Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister reacted quickly and deflected Messi’s cross into the penalty area. Lisando Martinez, unmarked at the far post, calmly headed the ball into the net to score his first goal for Argentina.
Lisandro Martinez scores Argentina’s first goal (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
It was also the first time in this tournament that the defending champions scored in the first half. It took a Messi pass from the wings and a set piece for Argentina to break the deadlock.
Felipe Cardenas
Emi Martinez said the pitch at Argentina’s opening match was a “trampoline”. Was it better?
Martinez has described the pitch at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as a “disaster”. It’s certainly not a surprising statement from the Aston Villa goalkeeper.
Houston’s NRG Stadium, another indoor NFL stadium, wasn’t much better. The game was fast and choppy. The ball bounced unpredictably, whether it was a short ball played sideways or a long diagonal pass, while strips of turf were clearly visible on television.
(Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Argentina’s players appear to have had a harder time coping with the state of the pitch than Ecuador’s. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni declined to comment on the state of the pitch after his scathing review of Argentina’s 2-0 win over Canada in Atlanta. He will have to hold back again if asked about the playing surface in Houston.
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Felipe Cardenas
How did Ecuador try to contain Argentina?
In the first 30 minutes, Ecuador had a fairly good control of the game. Messi was limited to just 11 touches of the ball, mainly because Ecuador pressed higher than expected and managed to cut off the services of the Argentine forwards.
With the ball, Ecuador moved quickly up the pitch, especially through the left wing and Jeremy Sarmiento. Ecuador created a turnover in midfield in the sixth minute, with Moisés Caicedo only managing to shoot weakly as four Argentine defenders converged on the box. Then, Sarmiento had a great chance to score in the 15th minute after beating Nahuel Molina.
Sarmiento, 22, impressed from the opening minutes (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Ecuador’s pressure and ability to recover defensively left Argentina with few options. They struggled to find their midfielders in dangerous areas and relied mainly on the wings to try to create chances. That’s what made Argentina’s corner so devastating. Ecuador had managed to limit Argentina, but a set piece changed the game.
Ecuador pushed the game towards the end of the second half and put Argentina under pressure on several occasions. Eventually, they managed to score in added time and sent the game to penalties. It was a deserved goal for a team that had done well to limit Argentina while creating dangerous chances either side of halftime.
Paul Tenorio
How did Argentina react?
Rodrigo De Paul on the game: “We knew the game was going to go like this. We would have liked to play better with the ball, but a lot of things prevented us from doing so.”
Emiliano Martinez on Ecuador: “They made it a lot harder for us. They played a very good game, very physical. We knew they were going to be one of the toughest rivals in the Cup.”
From Paul on Martinez: “We have an animal in goal. What he does is crazy. He deserves it. He loves these colours. He gives us a lot of security and peace of mind.”
What’s next for Argentina?
Argentina vs. Venezuela or Canada, MetLife Stadium, New Jersey. Tuesday, July 9, 8 p.m. ET.
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(Top photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)