Lionel Messi Puts Argentina in Copa America Semis as They Try to End Drought

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 19, 2016

commentComment        

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Copa America Centenario has been filled with highs and lows, but one of its biggest selling points is that it boasts the world's best player in Lionel Messi.

The European Championship is underway right now in France, but the current Ballon d’Or holder is across the Atlantic, in the United States, and inspired his team to a 4-1 quarter-final victory over Venezuela as they bid to end a 23-year major trophy drought. 

Until Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, he hadn't started a game but had already scored three goals. He bagged a 19-minute hat-trick against Panama in a substitute appearance before entertaining a Seattle crowd in another cameo against Bolivia.

Finally fit after suffering a back injury against Honduras in a friendly at the start of the tournament—a curious team to pick to play before an event like this, considering their physicality—Messi was ready to go from the off against Venezuela. And that he did.



After just eight minutes, he made a crucial impact. Playing on the right, in the position he occupies for Barcelona, Messi curled a perfectly weighted, flighted and positioned ball over two Venezuela midfielders and into the path of Gonzalo Higuain.

The Napoli striker was ghosting in between the centre-backs and finished superbly, but the strike was only possible because of an almost impossible through ball by Messi.

The Foxborough crowd of almost 60,000 liked what they saw. Many had bought tickets for this game because they wanted to see Messi in the flesh. Some fans anticipated Argentina would make it to this game by winning Group D, others purchased tickets following their success in group stage.

One source told Bleacher Report that several thousand tickets had been sold after it was confirmed Argentina would be visiting the Boston-area venue.



At Argentina’s other games so fa...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!