Argentina thump Paraguay to arrange Copa América final date with Chile
CONCEPCION, Chile --
A drought will end in Santiago on Saturday. The only question is whether it will be Chile’s 99-year dry spell or Argentina’s 22-year wait for to add to the 14th Copa America title it won in Ecuador.
With Lionel Messi at his inspirational best, Argentina at last approached something like the expected attacking heights in this 6-1 victory over Paraguay on Wednesday. With the defence still far from secure, this was perhaps not quite as secure a win as the scoreline might suggest.
Even with the score at 4-1, Argentina coach Gerardo Martino waved his hands in anguish in his technical area, angered at the lack of compactness in midfield. As time proceeds, the memories of the game itself fade to leave only the goals. What will remain is an image of Argentinian attacking brilliance, a fluent attacking display that, by the end, had the even the local Chileans applauding. Whatever the defensive shortcomings, the Argentinians played some mesmerising football, most of it from Messi, who was involved in five of the goals.
There had been enough in the opening quarter of an hour to worry Martino as Paraguay threatened to expose a back-line that still looks uncomfortable against pace and under aerial threat. Ezequiel Garay had been a late withdrawal with a stomach bug, which meant Martin Demichelis came in alongside Nicolas Otamendi. The problem, though, is less the personnel than the balance: this is a back four with two attacking full-backs and two slow centre-backs who need to sit deep, a combination that places huge pressure on Javier Mascherano at the back of midfield.
Six minutes in, Nelson Haedo Valdez headed a cross back for Roque Santa Cruz in space at the edge of the box. There is something a little sad about the Malaga forward these days, a 33-year-old with all the attributes who somehow has never quite been able to do it given the injuries that ravaged his career. His effort captured his career, a moment of beautiful possibility that was followed by disappointing actuality as he dragged his shot wide. He went off injured after half an hour.
Against Brazil, Santa Cruz had failed to find Haedo and so wasted a good early position. The thought then was that Paraguay couldn’t afford to spurn such openings. Against Brazil, it turned out further opportunities would emerge; here, they did not. Argentina suddenly found a ruthlessness it had lacked in previous games. After a tournament of struggling to turn possession in chances and chances into goals, Argentina at last began to look the attacking force its line-up suggests it ought to be.
That said, it took a set-play for Argentina to take the lead. Messi slung in a free-kick from the left for Demichelis. As the ball dropped, Marcos Rojo swivelled to hook the ball over the line. Javier Pastore had already mishit one chance from a Zabaleta cross when Messi teed him up for another chance that he missed. With 27 minutes gone, though, the PSG midfielder did at last get his first goal of the tournament, running on to a superb through-ball from Messi and striking a crisp angled shot into the bottom corner.
That goal seemed to be it, but Argentina wobbled just as it had in the opening group game against Paraguay. When Bruno Valdez headed a clearance back into the danger area, the two central defenders were split, the defensive line a rabble. Lucas Barrios, just as Haedo had in that first game, took full advantage, and finished with a ferocious strike. Had Paraguay’s other first-half substitute, Raul Bobadilla, shown more composure having worked an opening in the final minute of the half, Argentina might have found all its good work undone.
Before they came out for the beginning of the second half, Argentina’s players gathered in the tunnel. Stern words were said. There is a will and a conviction about this side now even if it remains defensively suspect. Within two minutes, those words had had their effect. The tie was over after Angel Di Maria ran on to Pastore’s perfectly weighted pass and finished calmly.
Six minutes later, it was 4-1. Messi showed astonishing acceleration to reach a loose ball first and hopped over the Paraguayan challenge. As he ran towards two other defenders, there seemed no possible way through, but he shimmied by one and nutmegged the other to leave them clattering in to each other. Suddenly, it was four on one. Pastore, who could easily have had a hat-trick, rather ruined the aesthetic by stabbing a weak shot at Justo Villar, but Di Maria was on hand to bang in the rebound.
Aguero headed a fifth from a Di Maria cross (he, of course, had been played into space by Messi) and then Messi, having slipped after playing a one-two at the edge of the box, forced the ball through for Gonzalo Higuain to smash in a sixth. Once the storm broke, the deluge was unstoppable.
