CONCEPCION: Lionel Messi produced a scintillating individual performance as Argentina produced their best performance of the Copa America so far to crush Paraguay 6-1 on Tuesday and set up a classic final against hosts Chile.

Angel di Maria scored twice and Marcos Rojo, Javier Pastore, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain also found the net in a brilliant display orchestrated by an inspired Messi.

Although Messi failed to end his run of more than 900 minutes without an international goal from open play, the diminutive maestro turned creator as Argentina tore Paraguay apart and helped set up five goals.

Argentina had scored only four goals in their four previous matches but Messi said it was not because the team had not been playing well.

“We talked about that just before the match and we said it was just chance that we hadn’t scored more because we’ve been playing well,” Messi said as he collected his man-of-the-match award.

“We were playing well, creating chances, and today all the goals came at once. We got an early goal and then found more space, and then we got the second. We continued to play the same way and more goals came.”

Argentina, who finished runners-up in last year’s World Cup, are determined to clinch a first major title in 22 years at the Copa America.

“The important thing is that we’ve achieved our first objective by reaching final. Now we need to win it,” Messi said.

The Barcelona superstar assisted in first-half goals by Manchester United defender Rojo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Pastore and one of Di Maria’s second-half goals before also helping to set up the final two goals by Manchester City striker Aguero and substitute Higuain.

Messi showed his brilliant play-making abilities when he beat three defenders — poking the ball through the legs of one of them — in a remarkable run from near midfield that culminated in Argentina’s fourth goal by Di Maria.

“We are committed to keep playing the same way,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said. “The team showed precision and efficiency in front of the goal.”

Striker Lucas Barrios scored the lone goal for Paraguay, who were trying to reach their second straight Copa America final after losing to Uruguay in the 2011 tournament.

Argentina outplayed Paraguay during most of the match in Concepcion, controlling possession and creating scoring chances from the beginning. They only struggled for a few minutes before halftime, but came back to crush their rivals in the second half.

“It was a sizable score, but Paraguayans have to be proud of this team, which is continuing to improve,” said Paraguay’s Argentine coach Ramon Diaz, who took over the squad in December after they finished last in World Cup qualifying. “I am very proud of them, they have been working hard to overcome many things and made it to the last four at this tournament.”

Paraguay lost two key players because of injury in the first half — playmaker Derlis Gonzalez in the 26th minute and veteran striker Roque Santa Cruz in the 30th. Gonzalez was crucial in the quarter-finals against Brazil, scoring the equalizer and converting the decisive penalty in the shootout.

Argentina’s Marcos Rojo (16) shoots to score a goal past Paraguay’s goalie Justo Villar during their Copa America semi-final.—Reuters

“We were playing against the best team in the world,” Diaz said of Argentina. “They were better than us in all aspects.”

Argentina’s opener came from a set-piece after 15 minutes. Messi swung a free kick in from the left, Rojo failed to connect cleanly with his first touch but swept the ball home from close range with his second.

The Argentineans should have doubled their lead six minutes later when Messi sprinted clear of the Paraguayan cover and released Pastore down the left.

But with the goal begging, Pastore took too long to get a shot away and Victor Caceres was able to slide in to make a desperate last-ditch block.

Yet Pastore did not have to wait long to make amends, seizing his chance when presented with another gilt-edged opportunity by Messi six minutes later.

Slick approach play saw the ball end with Messi, who deftly carved open the Paraguayan defence to play in Pastore. The midfielder controlled on the run with a sublime first touch before bludgeoning a low shot past Justo Villar.

Things went from bad to worse for Paraguay when both their strikers, Gonzalez and Santa Cruz, limped off injured.

Santa Cruz’s replacement, Barrios, gave them hope in the 43rd when he fired a powerful shot from just outside the area after Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi erred by trying to move the ball forward with a long pass.

Paraguay’s fightback was extinguished within eight minutes of the restart, however, as two goals from Di Maria put the favourites 4-1 up.

A superb counter-attack saw Pastore slip in Di Maria, whose low shot made it 3-1 on 47 minutes.

Six minutes later Messi destroyed the Paraguayan defence with a mazy run to set up Pastore. His shot was parried by Villar but Di Maria was on hand to slot home the rebound.

Messi also started the play that led to the fifth goal, an 80th-minute header by Aguero after a left-side cross by Di Maria and three minutes later Higuain got on the scoresheet after another probing Messi run.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2015

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