Messi is up against Canada in Copa America semifinal

Canada (Commonwealth) _Despite suffering a leg injury, Lionel Messi is determined to participate in Argentina’s Copa America semifinal match up against Canada on Tuesday night.

Since the 1-0 victory over Chile on June 25 in the group stage, Messi has been battling a right leg issue. He didn’t participate in the first-round encounter four days later, but he was there the entire time when Ecuador defeated them in the quarterfinals last Thursday. At the end of regulation time, Ecuador and Argentina were deadlocked 1-1. On penalties, Argentina triumphed 4-2 after that.

Leo is competent. Lionel Scaloni, the coach of Albiceleste, declared on Monday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, that “he will be playing tomorrow.”

At 37, Messi is four goals short of the record held by Brazil’s Zizinho and Argentina’s Norberto Mendez with 13 Copa America goals, although he hasn’t scored in any of the competition this year. Scaloni declared, “It’s an easy decision for me.” “I ask him how he feels, and it’s a really honest decision. The final thirty minutes will be played if he responds, “I’m not good.” He will play when he is free.
In the opening match of the tournament on June 20, Argentina defeated Canada 2-0 in pursuit of a record 16th Copa America championship. Goals in the second half came from Lautaro Martinez and Julian Alvarez, set up by Messi.

“With Messi, we weren’t quite good enough in the final game. He was too free to rush at our goalkeeper,” Jesse Marsch, the American brought in as Argentina had 64% possession and outshot Canada 19–10, including 9–2 on target. “Our ability to play against them was more of (an) advantage than their ability to play against us,” Marsch remarked.

Both sides have won on penalties kicks in the quarterfinals. Following a 1-1 draw after regulation, Canada, an invited guest from North America, beat Venezuela 4-3 on penalties. Uruguay takes on Colombia on Wednesday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the other semifinal At Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday is the championship match.

Argentina will have one extra day of recovery than Canada, although both sides have just finished demanding ninety-minute games. According to tournament rules, extra time can only be utilized in the championship match if necessary.

After winning the 2022 World Cup and the 2021 Copa America, Argentina is aiming to win its third major championship. It also wants to emulate Spain, who won the 2010 World Cup, the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. With 15, the Albiceleste and Uruguay share the record for most Copa America victories.

Emiliano Martinez, the goalie for Argentina, has won four straight shootouts: the first three came against Colombia in the Copa semifinals of 2021, the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup quarters, and France in the final then last week against Ecuador.

The 6-foot-5 Martinez, a talkative person who frequently shifts positions to divert opponents, stopped eight of the eighteen shots he faced, including those from Ecuador and Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, and Edwin Cardona of Colombia, Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis of the Netherlands, Kingsley Coman of France, and Angel Mena and Alan Minda of Ecuador.

Canada’s only World Cup campaigns came to an end in the group stage in 1986 and 2022. After winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship, its precursor competition, it went on to win the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Cyle Larin, who leads Canada in goals scored in his career with 29, declared, “We’re playing against the best team in the world.” “We are very powerful and fast, but I believe that in the days that we have spent together, we have grown.”

Faced against Argentina, the defending Copa America and World Cup winners led by worldwide superstar Lionel Messi, the 48th-ranked Canadian men will try to win for the first time ever. After falling to Argentina 2-0 in the tournament’s opening match on June 20, Canada will get another opportunity at redemption.

Since then, the Canadians have drawn 0-0 with Chile in group play, beaten Peru 1-0, and eliminated Venezuela 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. The sixth-round penalty was scored by Ismael Kone following goalkeeper Maxime Maxime Crépeau’s third save.

The victory sets up Canada and Argentina’s third encounter. In their senior match, which took place in Buenos Aires in May 2010, Argentina defeated Canada 5-0.