EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Argentina entered the Copa America tournament as the reigning World Cup and World Cup champions with nothing else to prove: just another trophy to play for.
Lionel Messi no longer yearns for validation from his country or feels the weight of achieving success after captaining The Albiceleste to back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. Angel Di Maria, who once faced criticism for his lack of achievements with the national team, now proudly displays a third star on the Argentina crest that he helped secure.
Key figures Emiliano Martínez, Lisandro Martínez, Lautaro Martínez and Rodrigo De Paul also take to the field, boosted by the confidence of their supporters.
Now, without the need for acceptance or pressure to lift a title, Argentina is back in the Copa America final for the second time in a row after triumphing 2-0 over Canada at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. What is it that continually drives this team to victory?
Coach Lionel Scaloni has allowed the players to take pride in past accomplishments and bask in the glory of Argentina's current state of triumph. But once the 2024 tournament began, he quickly imposed a sense of humility to avoid arrogance and overconfidence in approaching the new set of challenges the competition presents. Competing as reigning champions comes with a unique demand, but Scaloni's winning mentality continues to motivate this team to new heights and elevated expectations. One way or another, The Albiceleste find a way to succeed under your management.
“We have a clear path to follow. It is not easy to compete again after winning everything. In terms of results, the one who does things best does not always win. No one can let their guard down,” Scaloni said in March.
According to the coach, the goal, no matter how it is achieved, is to win. And the players demonstrated that mentality once again against Canada.
The American rivals started the match stronger, pressing high to invade the Argentine half and being a nuisance for the defenders. The Canadians registered two shots in the first 10 minutes before The Albiceleste It could reach goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
But, as Scaloni had hoped, Argentina found a way to break through. Julián Álvarez opened the scoring in the first half, latching on to a pass from De Paul before finishing with a right-footed shot. Messi doubled Argentina's tally in the second minute, scoring his first goal of the tournament by touching the ball in from Enzo Fernández's shot.
De Paul was unable to score, but his 63 touches throughout the match proved vital to the team's steady build-up play. Cristian Romero contributed by winning 3 of 3 ground duels and 1 of 1 aerial duels, proving that every detail matters. But still, Argentina did not dominate convincingly.
Canada had nine shots, two of them on target, with Ismaël Koné and Jacob Shaffelburg running freely across Argentina's half. Jesse Marsch's side even managed to force their way into the box in the dying moments of the match, forcing Emiliano Martínez into an excellent save with his foot in the 89th minute.
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Why Alphonso Davies struggled at the Copa America
Kasey Keller and Herculez Gomez discuss Alphonso Davies' struggles for Canada at the Copa America.
The 2-0 final score may be misleading and convince fans that Marsch's team failed to compete, when in reality, Argentina finished the match with just two more shots and 51% possession. Canada challenged, but The Albiceleste Confidence and a conquering mentality proved to be the difference.
Argentina handled the group stage tournament in a similar fashion with 2-0 and 1-0 results, winning tough matches with hard-fought performances before nearly seeing an early elimination against Ecuador. The quarter-final opponents started better, managing three shots and one on target despite maintaining 36% of possession. In comparison, Argentina registered zero shots in the first 24 minutes and turned to goalkeeper Martinez to stay in the match. Argentina couldn't eclipse Ecuador, allowing a last-minute equalizer from Kevin Rodriguez to force the game into a penalty shootout. But The Albiceleste He refused to crumble under the disappointment of losing the lead and instead returned to the field with a greater purpose.
Emiliano Martinez personified the winning mentality that Scaloni continues to instill in this team by displaying impressive confidence and attacking every penalty in aggressive fashion. The quality of the performance in regulation time became irrelevant after the players proved that Argentina would find a way to prevail by any means necessary.
Fans and media have criticised Argentina for a lack of extraordinarily dominant results throughout the tournament, using Colombia's 5-0 win over Panama and 3-0 win over Costa Rica as examples, but Scaloni's Argentina remains unfazed.
“No, I don't think we need to have that. [standout] “We are playing according to the opponent and competing. We can play better or worse, but we are playing at the level of this tournament,” Scaloni said. “We are playing the game that is needed to compete.”
And so the mentality instilled in The Albiceleste Scaloni’s commitment becomes more evident with each passing match, as players find a way to secure a ticket to the next round by any means necessary. The team’s unwavering dedication to this mindset fueled the 2021 Copa America title and the 2022 FIFA World Cup trophy. Now, the approach to pressure and stress may be different, but this team continues to play with one goal: to win.
Argentina is now preparing to play in the Copa America final for the second time in a row. Many are wondering whether Uruguay or Colombia, who will meet on Wednesday, will pose a bigger challenge for Argentina in the last match of the tournament. But the opponent is no longer important with the mentality The Albiceleste employs.
“That's what football is about: trying things even when they don't go your way. This team will never stop trying,” Scaloni said after Tuesday's victory.
It's a clear philosophy under the Argentine coach. Each of the 26 players in the squad is committed to doing their part on and off the pitch.
