Lionel Messi scored one goal and provided two assists as Argentina kept alive their bid to end their 28-year Copa America title wait with a 3-0 quarter-final win over 10-man Ecuador in Goiania on Saturday.
Messi hit the post early before showing composure to find Rodrigo De Paul for his maiden international goal in the 40th minute.
Late on, Messi swooped on a heavy touch from Piero Hincapie to set up Lautaro Martinez – for his second goal in two games - before adding one of his own with a superb free-kick.
Argentina extends their unbeaten run to 18 games under head coach Lionel Scaloni. La Tri exit without a win, despite reaching the knockout stage.
Argentina started strong, with Martinez's angled shot saved, while German Pezzella fired into the side-netting from a Messi corner.
Ecuador had a major let-off in the 23rd minute following Carlos Gruezo's error which allowed Messi in one-on-one, only to shoot into the upright.
Jhegson Mendez tested Argentine keeper Emiliano Martinez with a thunderous volley and Enner Valencia glanced a header off target as Ecuador offered some threat in an open game.
But Argentina took the lead in the 40th minute with Messi calmly finding De Paul who picked his spot after Ecuador keeper Hernan Galindez raced off his line to clear a through-ball.
Valencia flicked a header wide on half-time, while the Fenerbahce forward also hit the post early in the second half from a tight angle.
Argentina sat back in the second half, with Gonzalo Plata testing Emiliano Martinez in the 80th minute before Messi found Lautaro Martinez for an easy finish after Hincapie's error.
Hincapie was sent off in stoppage-time for a last-man foul following a VAR check, with Messi stepping up to curl home the free-kick from the edge of the box brilliantly.
What does it mean?
Argentina are into the last four as they target a drought-breaking continental crown. La Albiceleste have not lifted the Copa since Gabriel Batistuta inspired them to victory in 1993, claiming back-to-back titles.
Messi's Argentina have come close in recent times, finishing third in 2019 and runners-up in 2004 (prior to Messi's debut), 2007, 2015 and 2016. They have a great shot at ending that wait.
Fast-starting Argentina
De Paul's 40th-minute strike meant La Albiceleste have scored in the first half in 11 consecutive matches. Prior to Saturday's win, 12 of Argentina's past 13 goals had been scored in the opening 45 minutes of matches.
Ecuador's own drought
The 1993 tournament is also relevant for Ecuador, who finished fourth at that Copa; their best result in recent times.
La Tri have not bettered that performance since, with this being the third campaign they have fallen at the quarter-final stage since. Remarkably Ecuador have only won three Copa games since bowing out in the 2017 quarters.
What's next?
Argentina progresses to face Colombia in the semi-finals in Brasilia on Tuesday, while Ecuador pack their bags, with their next competitive action being 2022 World Cup qualifying in September.
West Ham offer reward for information after burglars raided Kurt Zouma’s house
West Ham have offered a £25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of burglars who raided Kurt Zouma’s home on the eve of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace.
Zouma and his young family were in the house during the break-in, and he missed the following day’s match against Palace, with his club saying at the time that he was absent for “personal reasons”.
West Ham said the burglars took items of “significant value and of huge personal and sentimental importance to the family.”
Hammers joint chairman David Sullivan said: “First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone connected to West Ham United are with Kurt and his family.
“To have someone break into your home is a terrifying experience and I hope this reward will help bring the individuals to justice and prevent others from going through a similar ordeal.”
Last year Zouma was ordered to carry out 180 hours’ community service and banned from keeping cats for five years after kicking and slapping his pet in a disturbing home video posted on Snapchat.
Skelmersdale appeal after boss Pascal Chimbonda lands five-match stadium ban
Skelmersdale United manager Pascal Chimbonda has been given a five-match stadium ban for improper conduct, his club have confirmed.
The 44-year-old former Tottenham, Sunderland, Wigan and Blackburn player, who was also a member of France’s World Cup squad in 2006, took the reins at the North West Counties Premier League side in October.
His club have appealed against the severity of the punishment, which follows an incident which saw him sent off when Skelmersdale faced Barnoldswick Town on October 21.
A thread posted on the club’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) read: “Pascal Chimbonda has been served with a five match stadium ban for Improper Conduct which will take effect immediately. This is in relation to his sending off on the 21st October 2023 during the game against Barnoldswick Town.
“Pascal would like to state that although he pleaded guilty to the offence of leaving his technical area, he did so with the sole intention of preventing his players from getting hurt in a melee which had developed on the field of play.
“The club have appealed against the severity of the punishment as it doesn’t appear to be proportionate with the offence. Particular as his previous disciplinary record is totally unblemished. The club won’t be releasing any further statements until the outcome of the appeal.”
Chimbonda also played for QPR, Carlisle and Doncaster, before playing for non-league Washington (Tyne and Wear) and Ashton Town.
Sarina Wiegman: No chance Scotland will let England win to aid GB Olympic hopes
England boss Sarina Wiegman has stressed there is “no way” Scotland are going to “give away” the game when the sides meet at Hampden Park on Tuesday in their final Nations League group fixture.
The second-placed Lionesses may need a high-scoring win against the already-relegated Scots to claim top spot in the group, the finish required to keep Wiegman’s team in contention to secure Paris 2024 Olympic qualification for Great Britain.
With England success on that front the only way Scottish players will be able to play at the Games, Andries Jonker, head coach of group leaders the Netherlands, described the situation as “strange” after England’s 3-2 win over the Dutch at Wembley on Friday.
Wiegman told a press conference on Monday: “I understand the conversations about it.
“But if you have seen our group, seen Scotland and know the history of Scotland and England, then there’s no way that they are going to give away this game. They really want to beat England and we want to beat them, of course.
“There’s such a rivalry that that is absolutely not going to be the case. We saw it when we played in England (a 2-1 win for England in September).
“I don’t have the solution. This is the first time we’ve played the Nations League, and how are you going to solve this situation? Maybe you don’t want them in the same group, but then if Scotland topped another group, we topped one and we went into the finals, you’d have the same situation.
“It’s just about fair play, about football, and in football everyone wants to win, and we know the rivalry.
“We have professional players here who really want to show up – England players and Scottish players. I think it’s going to be a good game where everyone wants to perform at their highest level.”
England midfielder Keira Walsh said: “Nobody is questioning the professionalism of this game.
“They’ve got some top players, so do we and we both want to win. I don’t think it’s a case of they’ll be thinking about anything else, I think we both want to play a good game and hopefully win.”
While England and the Netherlands, each on nine points from five games, are locked on head to head record, the latter have a goal difference that is superior by three. The Dutch on Tuesday host a Belgium outfit who lie a point behind in third.
Wiegman said of her players: “You don’t want to be erratic. We want to be controlled, but we really want to play our best game and create chances, get a lot of players up front, but do the right things, make the right choices, stay calm at all moments and score as a team, and again then don’t concede any.
“Lets start, play a possession game, try to get in behind the defence, create lots of chances and score.”
England battled back to triumph on Friday after being 2-0 down at half-time, with the second Dutch goal coming when Mary Earps got a glove to Lineth Beerensteyn’s shot but could not stop it crossing the line.
Earps afterwards said she had “really let the team down”, something Wiegman then said was not the case.
Walsh added: “Mary has saved us in so many situations. For me, she’s always been there in the big moments for us, so she really doesn’t need to take that on herself.
“It has to go past 10 other players before it gets to her and I think there were numerous mistakes leading up to that one.
“She’s in good spirits now I think. Even at breakfast this morning she was making jokes about it. Mary’s delivered before so I’m pretty sure she will again.”
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