Messi Sent Off As Argentina Beat Chile To Secure Copa America Third Spot
7th July 2019
Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala scored the first half goals that ensured victory for Argentina
- Lionel Messi was harshly sent off as Argentina secured third place at the Copa America with a 2-1 victory over Chile on Saturday
- In a niggly and fractious match, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi and Chile captain Gary Medel were given their marching orders eight minutes from half-time after tangling on the goalline
- A furious Medel responded by chest-bumping Messi twice in an incident that probably merited no more than a a single yellow card for the Chilean
SAO PAULO, Brazil- Lionel Messi was harshly sent off as Argentina secured third place at
the Copa America with a 2-1 victory over Chile on Saturday.
In a niggly and
fractious match, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi and Chile captain Gary
Medel were given their marching orders eight minutes from half-time after
tangling on the goalline.
Sergio Aguero and
Paulo Dybala scored the first half goals that ensured victory for Argentina.
But the match will
be most remembered for the double sending-off and the melee it sparked.
In what seemed an
innocuous clash, a frustrated Messi shoved Medel in the back as the center-back
shepherded the ball out of play.
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A furious Medel
responded by chest-bumping Messi twice in an incident that probably merited no
more than a a single yellow card for the Chilean.
Incredibly,
Paraguayan referee Mario Diaz de Vivar showed the two captains the red card.
Medel in particular
reacted even more angrily as players from both sides squared up to each other
and the referee, who lost complete control of the situation.
It took fully five
minutes to calm the situation and get Messi and Medel to leave the field.
At this point,
already 2-0 down, Chile were in danger of losing their heads and Erick Pulgar
was lucky to receive only a yellow card for a stamp on Leandro Paredes that
looked a far worse offence that either Messi's or Medel's.
Messi had created
the opening goal with a quickly-taken free-kick on 12 minutes, picking out
Aguero's clever diagonal run before the forward rounded goalkeeper Gabriel
Arias and passed the ball cooly into the empty goal.
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Ten minutes later,
Dybala doubled the lead with a cool, dinked finish past the advancing Arias
after taking a sumptuous Giovani Lo Celso through ball in his stride.
By tha time, Chile
had seen influential Manchester United forward Alexis Sanchez limp off with a
hamstring injury.
Chile were handed a
lifeline when Lo Celso was adjudged to have brought down Charles Aranguiz on
the edge of the penalty area, with Arturo Vidal slamming home the penalty on 59
minutes.
Aguero came closest
to scoring again but his chipped finish hit Arias in the head.