Copa America: Messi achieves 73 goals for Argentina, Paraguay leads Group A

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – It was a bittersweet debut for Lionel Messi and Argentina in Rio de Janeiro on Monday with a 1-1 draw in Group A with Chile, their ‘bête noire’ in the Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016. Paraguay took the Group lead with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Bolivia.

Uruguay, the fifth team in the group, will make its debut on June 18 in a clash with Argentina.

Casting a dark shadow over the 47th edition of the tournament, Brazil’s Ministry of Health revealed that it has detected 41 cases of Covid-19 among players, members of the technical commissions and personnel working with the organization. This is causing added concerns and tensions among the 10 delegations and health authorities during the second day of matches.

So far, cases of coronavirus have been discovered in the teams sent by Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.

Of the 41 infected, according to the source, 31 cases affect players and members of the aforementioned teams, and another 10 to personnel hired in Brasilia for the tournament. All were isolated in a hotel in the country’s capital.

The action in Group A started positively for the Argentine “Albiceleste” and its captain.

Messi scored his 73rd goal in 145 games for the team against Chile, a free kick goal that was not enough for his team to win.

Messi is also Argentina’s top scorer in official tournaments with 39 goals, just ahead of Gabriel Batistuta who scored 38.

At the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Argentina had missed several chances to score against Chile’s “La Roja” team.

In a free kick executed with impeccable technique, the captain of the Albiceleste overcame the barrier and nailed the ball far from the reach of Claudio Bravo, his former Barcelona teammate. It was the 33rd minute and Messi’s goal made the difference.

In the second half, Chile came out with everything it had to equalize and Argentina, repeating the defensive lapses of the last qualifying match, lost concentration and was surprised by the impetus of La Roja.

Thus, in the 53rd minute, a play in favor of Chile that was analyzed by VAR became a penalty against Argentina awarded by the Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan in the 57th minute.

Chile’s Eduardo Vargas took the rebound and made it 1-1, after goalie Emiliano Martinez had held Arturo Vidal’s shot.

Messi tried and in the 69th minute took a shot that hit a Chilean defender and went for a corner kick, but Argentina lacked clarity and composure and Chile remained strong in defense.

In Goiânia, at the Olímpico Pedro Ludovico stadium, the Paraguayan “Albirroja” and Bolivia played the second match of Group A.

Bolivia’s “La Verde” took the lead when VAR confirmed a penalty awarded by Peruvian referee Diego Haro for a handball in the area by Paraguay’s Santiago Arzamendia. Erwin Saavedra stepped up and converted the goal in the 10th minute to make it 0-1.

After 20 minutes, the roles were reversed and this time the referee awarded a penalty in favor of the Albirroja. However, VAR made Haro review the action again and the Peruvian reversed his decisiont.

At 45+9 minutes, Bolivia was down to 10 players after Jaume Cuéllar was sent off for a double caution.

Paraguay took advantage of this, as they woke up in the second half. They equalized 1-1 in the 62nd minute with a goal by Kaku, and then went ahead with Ángel Romero, who scored a pair in the 65th and 80th minutes.

Next Friday, in the second day of Group A, Chile will face Bolivia and Argentina will do the same against Uruguay. Paraguay will have a rest day.