BRASILIA: It will be Lionel Messi’s Argentina against Neymar’s Brazil in the Copa America final on Saturday at the historic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero, saving three times in the shootout, as Argentina defeated Colombia 3-2 on penalties after a bruising 1-1 draw in Tuesday’s semi-final at the Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.

“I’m speechless,” said Martinez. “They took us to penalties and thats a question of luck, today it was my turn for glory. We said it the first day, we want to play the final and what better than playing Brazil on their pitch.”

Argentina haven’t captured a major title since 1993 when they won Copa America. On that occasion, the team eliminated Colombia on penalties 6-5 in the semi-final after a goalless draw.

Brazil beat Peru 1-0 on Monday to advance to the final. The Selecao have never lost a Copa America final at home and have won five out of six matches so far. Neymar said after the semi-final he wanted to meet his Barcelona mentor Messi at the decider.

“Both of us are in the final, I know Neymar said it because we are friends and he wanted me to be there too,” Messi said. “It will surely be very close and difficult. We are aiming high, we managed to get the first objective of playing the final, playing all matches. Now we are aiming higher than ever, we are going to seek that Copa.”

Two years ago a Brazil team missing the injured Neymar knocked out Argentina in the semi-finals before winning their ninth Copa title on home soil.

For Messi, 34, time is running out to win a first major international title with his national team, having previously lost in three Copa finals and the 2014 World Cup final.

For once he wasn’t his country’s main hero, although he did create the opening goal for Lautaro Martinez on seven minutes, before Luis Diaz equalised just after the hour mark.

In the shoot-out, Martinez, who tried to distract Colombia’s players in the shootout with a barrage of trash talk, saved from centre-backs Davinson Sanchez and Yerry Mina, as well as midfielder Edwin Cardona.

And although Rodrigo De Paul skied his penalty for Argentina, Messi —who finished with blood seeping visibly from his left ankle, Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez scored for Argentina.

“Dibu is a phenomenon. We trusted him,” Messi said after the match, in a reference to Martinez’s nickname.

Argentina and Colombia were actually supposed to be joint hosts but South American football’s governing body CONMEBOL switched venues at the 11th hour due to the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest in Colombia.

Despite the defeat, Colombia coach Reinaldo Rueda was feeling positive, saying their performance “invites us to dream, to think we’re on the right path.”

“We have nothing to regret. We should lift our heads, look each other in the eyes and know we have nothing to reproach ourselves about,” he added. “Now we have to wait for football to give our effort back so we can give some joy to the Colombian people some other time.”

Both sides had chances to win in an intense, end-to-end match punctuated by 46 fouls and 10 yellow cards.

It took Argentina only seven minutes to open the scoring. Rodrigo de Paul found Messi in the penalty box with a through pass. The star earned his fifth assist in the tournament with a pass to Lautaro Martinez, who put the ball in the right corner past Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina.

Colombia found their feet soon after and hit the woodwork twice in a minute towards the end of the first half when Wilmar Barrios deflected shot struck the post and then Mina watched his header hit the bar from the resulting corner.

Their equaliser came on the hour mark when Luis Diaz finished from a tight angle to complete a surprise counter attack.

Argentina reacted after 67 minutes when Angel di Maria came into the match, replacing Nico Gonazlez. The winger created several opportunities including one in the 80th minute that ended with Davinson Sanchez saving a finish by Lautaro Martinez on the goal line.

Di Maria then played in Messi who thudded a shot off the post before De Paul’s follow up was charged down by Sanchez.

Messi shot a late free-kick into the wall but after the 90 minutes were up, it was Martinez who took centre stage.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2021