Lionel Messi broke his goal drought, while Julian Alvarez also found the back of the net, leading Argentina to a commanding 2-0 victory over Canada and securing a spot in the Copa America final at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday night.
As the reigning champions, Argentina displayed their championship form against Jesse Marsch’s surprising semi-finalists, efficiently converting their chances and limiting Canada to just one shot on target.
Messi set the tone early, narrowly missing a long-range effort. Alvarez broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, connecting with Rodrigo de Paul’s incisive pass to score.
Messi came close to doubling the lead before halftime, but his shot went wide after an impressive dribble past two defenders.
Early in the second half, Messi ended his scoring slump by tapping in a deflection from Enzo Fernandez’s powerful strike, giving Argentina a two-goal cushion in the 51st minute.
Although Canada had several promising attacks in the second half, their hopes dimmed when Alphonso Davies exited with an ankle injury with 20 minutes left.
Argentina comfortably saw out the match, threatening on the counter and keeping Canada at bay, thus advancing to their third consecutive major tournament final.
The final will take place on Sunday, July 14, 2024.