🇦🇷 Amidst disorder & confusion, Argentina again wins Copa América
Thoughts on the match, the shameful moments in the stadium & the Finalissima.
The moments after the referee blew his whistle will be the ones we see forever. They’ll play in highlight montages. They’ll live on in the memories of Argentina fans who saw their team lift a third consecutive major trophy, as the 2022 World Cup winners defended their 2021 Copa América crown with a 1-0 win over Colombia in extra time.
But do you remember the moments right before the final whistle? Raphael Claus, the Brazilian referee, trying to listen to the Video Assistant Referee to see if there was anything he needed to whistle. Colombia forward Miguel Borja and teammates coming forward to bark at the referee and to shove Argentina goalkeeper Dibu Martinez.
It was disorderly. No one seemed to know what was going on or what should be happening. It is not a moment that will be remembered, but it is representative of the final.
It was a game delayed multiple times because of safety issues keeping fans from getting into the stadium. It was a game that ended up somewhat choppy as both teams fell into a rhythm of fouls. While there were some nice stretches of play, it also was a game in which the tension in the stadium ratcheted up with each passing moment, players becoming afraid to make the mistake that would lose the final instead of having the boldness to make the play that would win it.
The picture of Lionel Messi lifting the trophy alongside Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi will be the images we see forever. It definitely is making the YouTube comp. It will live on in the memories of soccer fans around the world.
Yet, Messi exited the match in the 66th minute, bursting into tears on the bench as his ankle continued to swell. Otamendi made a late cameo. Di Maria was critical, continuing to look for attacking moments in his last-ever international match even as the clock ticked well past the 100th minute.
We will also remember the contributions of the other Argentina players.
The center-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero repelling numerous Colombia attacks, heading out balls put in by James Rodriguez, by Juanfer Quintero, by any creative Colombian.
Martinez and his four saves, keeping Argentina even-keeled early as he stopped a handful of good Colombia chances.
And there was the sliding tackle from Leandro Paredes to win the ball back and his quick hop to his feet to start the attacking move, the quick-thinking pass by Giovani Lo Celso and the finish from Lautaro Martinez that lifted Argentina to the triumph, that gave Messi, Di Maria and Otamendi the chance to celebrate - and for at least two of them to go out with - another Copa América title.
All three of those players came off the bench in the 97th minute, connecting for what feels like a masterful decision from Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni.
It was a game that needed substitutions, played at a quick clip in the Miami humidity, but both managers were cagey about when they made their changes. While Scaloni was forced to bring Messi and fullback Gonzalo Montiel off because of the knocks they took, he otherwise waited to respond to Colombia boss Nestor Lorenzo’s modifications. Lorenzo wasn’t eager to make any.
When they finally came, essentially at the beginning of extra time, Scaloni made his big switch, swapping out the forward and one of the midfielders in his setup, plus adding the crafty Lo Celso.
“Sometimes football is a bit of a chess match because you think one thing, they move, then we move,” Scaloni said. “You’re always trying to surprise them and make sure they don’t hurt you.
“We thought about those changes because we thought they would benefit us. Physically, we weren’t bad … but we thought Lautaro would have one chance in him, and he was going to score. That’s what we said on the bench. Lo Celso had the last pass, he works well in the team, we’ve always liked him. Leandro also always has been with us. We wanted the team to have another push.”
On Sunday night, Argentina was much more than Messi and 10 others. When we look back and remember the confusion and remember the stars, we may also remember this as the starting point for the torch being passed and Argentina’s next generation having to step up.
Messi couldn’t do it Sunday. Di Maria won’t be around. Otamendi already isn’t much of a factor. But on a chaotic night in Miami, Argentina still found a way to prove it’s on top in the Americas. Those are moments they’ll always remember.
The shocking stadium scenes
As it became more and more obvious to anyone who follows Copa América coverage on social media Sunday that there were serious issues with fans’ entrance to the stadium, Alejandro Dominguez was not in an operations room fielding calls from deputies. Rather, the CONMEBOL president was walking around the field as Colombian singer Sebastian Yatra and Argentine artist Soledad Pastorutti kicked balls into the stands.
There weren’t many fans to receive the souvenirs, though, since few people could actually get into the stadium.
The CONMEBOL staffers responsible for event operation, Hard Rock Stadium personnel and Miami Dade police likely aren’t feeling very lucky right now, but they are very fortunate things didn’t get worse. A lot could’ve gone wrong.
Thousands of fans were bunched together by gates in conditions that easily could’ve created a crush.
Police told local reporters that thousands of people without tickets may have gotten in, meaning someone with any sort of weapon or substance could’ve been in the stadium.
Luckily, as I write this with Sunday turning into Monday, it appears everyone escaped without serious injury. Hopefully that stays true.
Now, the finger-pointing begins.
CONMEBOL will blame the venue (and at one point even Concacaf was catching strays - though they also quickly gave their perspective that CONMEBOL was at fault).
The truth is pulling off a major sporting event like this requires a joint effort between the governing body, the venue, local law enforcement and other stakeholders.
As a reporter, there often are behind-the-scenes moments during a matchday that come as a surprise. Whether you end up learning from a conversation with food service workers, security personnel or elevator operators, so much goes in to the fan experience.
It’s behind-the-scenes for a reason, though. You shouldn’t have to think about whether or not you’ll be involved in a human crush when you go to a game.
Instead, we had Sunday’s breakdown, a frightening scene that no doubt will have plenty of scarred fans, many families with young children, afraid to ever go back.
The procedure in Miami, coming just days after the incident in which Uruguay players went into the stands to protect their families and friends, was a clear failure. It was a debacle. It is a black eye for organizers, for stadium personnel and everyone involved - even tangentially. And it should be brought up in every meeting between staffers from any city and an entity that wants to bring a soccer match to that city’s venue.
It must be used as a learning experience. This can’t be repeated. It must be resolved. Wasting time arguing it wasn’t your fault instead of accepting responsibility is immaturity. Every organization involved needs to look at where it failed and how it will be better next time.
Up next? Qualification and then … Finalissima?
UEFA and CONMEBOL made big promises that haven’t always been delivered on when they announced a Memorandum of Understanding in 2020.
Some fans and media outlets have recalled that the Euro champion and the Copa América winner are supposed to play each other in a match, as Argentina and Italy did in the 2022 Finalissima.
A reporter tried to ask Scaloni about it and the manager interrupted him. “Is it going to be played?” “We hope so,” the reporter continued. “We don’t know where.”
My hunch is the game will happen, but I do wonder where the match will be. The game has happened three times before, twice on European soil and once in Argentina.
That was in 1993 when Argentina won a penalty shootout to beat Denmark in Mar del Plata. Argentina’s kick-takers that day? Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Diego Simeone, Alejandro Mancuso, Claudio Caniggia (he had his kick saved by Peter Schmeichel) and Julio Saldaña. Not bad.
Could Spain be convinced to go to South America? The only “modern” edition of this game that we’ve seen at a neutral site, though the Women’s Finalissima was England beating Brazil at Wembley.
Putting the game in Buenos Aires would just turn it into an Argentina home match, but Brazil offers perhaps the only other option where a neutral site match seems logistically feasible. Could Spain-Argentina fill the Maracanã or the Morumbi? Maybe. Would Argentina want to play there? I’m less sure about that.
The more likely choice - if the confederations choose to actually remember they said they’d play this game, of course - is a neutral site in Europe. They may pick Germany to once again replicate the “past Euro host venue hosts the next big game, too.” formula.
Another option, of course, is to play it in the U.S., but it doesn’t seem like Miami would be in the running for that one.
Last night’s score
Argentina 1-0 (AET) Colombia
Up next for me? After 25 editions of the daily Copa América newsletter, I’m hoping it’s a nap.
For real, though. I need to recharge the batteries just a bit. I plan to be back in your inbox once this week. Speak with you then!