Argentina’s Lionel Messi (center) battles with three Canada players for the ball during a Copa America match in Atlanta. (AP Photo)
Lionel Messi inspired the Argentine football team to a 2-0 victory over the Canadian team as their Copa America title defence got off to a flier on a rocky runway of a pitch.
It was Messi’s magical through ball that led Julián Álvarez to scoring Argentina’s 49th-minute opening goal. Not satisfied with that, he then aided Lautaro Martínez to double their lead in the 88th-minute.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve done this, but we had patience to retain possession of the ball and it was hard to find the good open spaces,” Messi was quotes as saying by The Associated Press. “It was physically intense.”
The pitch at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium came in for plenty of flak from both sets of players and staff. THE Associated Press reported that grass was installed at the venue after a Major League Soccer game on Saturday was played on the usual artificial turf. The venue will host a FIFA World Cup game in 2026.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez criticized the grass surface installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“The field was a disaster,” he said. “It seems like a springboard with the ball jumping. They need to improve this. If not, Copa America will always be at lower level than the Euro.”
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni added: “Thank goodness we won. Otherwise it would have been a cheap excuse. They knew seven months ago that we will be playing here and they changed the surface a few days ago. It’s not an excuse, but this wasn’t a good field. Sincerely, the field is not apt for these players.”
The Canadian players also did not hold back.
Kamal Miller said: “It felt like walking on a stage, as if it was hollow.”
Despite the nature of the pitch, Messi extended his own record in the tournament with his 18th assist.
