Argentina 1-1 Chile
Same result, different day.
That was the case when two old rivals in Argentina and Chile kicked things off in the Copa America one week after their World Cup 2022 qualifiers match at the Santiago del Estero.
Just like before, Argentina took the lead early when Lionel Messi scored one of his trademark spot-kicks in the first half, but Chile managed to score the equaliser shortly through the effort of Eduardo Vargas.
The Barcelona talisman continued to create attacking chances for La Albiceleste late, but his teammates let him down as they failed to convert on their opportunities. They would certainly need to do better if they have plans on bringing home the trophy.
The draw put these two teams in second and third in the Copa America standings since Paraguay won over Bolivia in the other featured Group B match.
In Group A, Brazil are leading the pack after a victory over Venezuela while Colombia eked out a win over Ecuador in the other fixture.
As we look back at the kick off of the 2021 Copa America, let’s recap last night’s Copa America 2021 highlights package here at SBOTOP.
Highlights of the game
The Copa America 2021 odds didn’t favour the Chileans to win since Alexis Sanchez was a late scratch to their lineup.
The Inter Milan winger, who leads Chile with 138 international caps and 46 goals, apparently suffered a serious foot injury during practice which meant that he will be sidelined for the rest of the group stage matches.
On the other hand, La Roja got a major boost in the midfield when Arturo Vidal was fit to play after testing positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago.
After a lively back-and-forth during the first 10 minutes, Argentina missed their first chance when Lautaro Martinez overpowered his sliding shot following a beautiful cross from Giovani Lo Celso.
During the 16th minute, Nicolas Gonzalez had two chances but Claudio Bravo was there to save the ball both times. First was a low shot from the left flank, then the second came via a quick counterattack.
Chile had their first try during the 27th minute when Jean Meneses shot the ball inside the penalty box, but the ball went too wide on the right side.
Argentina kept pushing the tempo and they would finally score one after Giovani Lo Celso was tackled harshly just outside 28 yards.
Lionel Messi was called upon to take the free-kick and he curled one home in the 33rd minute to give La Albiceleste the lead.
La Roja scored the equaliser 13 minutes into the second half when Eduardo Vargas followed up Arturo Vidal’s penalty that bounced onto the bar after a tip by Emiliano Martinez.
With the game level, Argentina were desperate to regain the lead so Lionel Messi did his best to weave his magic.
Messi attempted a long-range screamer during the 70th minute but his shot was blocked by a Chilean defender. He then drew another fine save from Claudio Bravo two minutes later.
Argentina’s last chance came when Lionel Messi crossed the ball during a free-kick, but Lucas Martinez Quarta’s header just went over the crossbar.
Key statistics
There’s a reason why Lionel Messi was left frustrated after his team failed to close out Chile.
La Albiceleste had 18 total shots with only five of them on target while La Roja only had five total shots with four of them on target.
Moreover, Lionel Messi’s iconic status in Argentina continues after last night’s performance. The veteran forward is now one of the six Argentine players who have scored 10+ goals in the Copa America.
Last night’s draw extended La Albiceleste’s undefeated run to 14 games under head coach Lionel Scaloni with their previous loss dating back to the 2019 Copa America semis versus Brazil.
Eduardo Vargas remains second in Chile’s all-time goal scorers list after Alexis Sanchez. The 31-year-old forward now has 39 goals under his belt.
What’s next?
Argentina and Chile will have some big matches ahead in the tournament this weekend.
As for La Albiceleste, they’ll be taking on Uruguay in what will be a high-profile match this Friday night at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia. This will be Uruguay’s first fixture of the Copa America.
Meanwhile, Chile have a winnable match on their hands when they’ll lock horns versus Bolivia at the Arena Pantanal on the same day.
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