Ecuador scored a late stoppage time goal and Lionel Messi missed his penalty kick attempt, but Argentina survived its biggest scare of Copa America 2024 thus far by winning 4-2 in penalties over their South American rival on Thursday night at NRG Stadium in Houston.
After a 1-1 draw following two halves, the game went straight to penalties, and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez proved to be the difference-maker when it mattered the most — stopping Ecuador’s first two penalty kicks before Julian Alvarez and Alexis Mac Allister gave the country an early lead.
Gonzalo Montiel scored on his attempt for Argentina and Nicolas Otamendi converted his shot to seal the win and send his side to the semifinals next week at MetLife Stadium.
“I wasn’t ready to go home,” Martínez said after the game, per the Associated Press. “This team deserved to advance. They complicated us a lot. They played a great match, very physical. We knew they were one of the top rivals in Copa America.”
But it was a nearly surreal turn of events that led the quarterfinal match to end up in a penalty shootout in the first place after Argentina controlled the game for most of the night.
In fact, Argentina had enjoyed a relatively smooth road in Copa America until late Thursday night, having not conceded a goal for more than 360 minutes in this year’s tournament.
But a ball sent into the box in stoppage time was headed by Kevin Rodriguez and past Martínez to tie the game at 1-1, giving Ecuador hope that it could topple Argentina and inch closer to capturing the country’s first-ever Copa America title.
This came after Ecuador nearly scored the tying goal earlier in the match when Enner Valencia took a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, but his shot hit off the post and stayed out of the net.
After a lengthy review, the goal was confirmed and Ecuador nearly found the game-winner moments later when a header by Jordy Caicedo went wide of the net on what looked like it could have been the golden goal for La Tricolor.
In the penalty shootout, the scene took another bizarre twist when Argentina sent one of the world’s greatest footballers up to shoot first.
Messi clearly fooled Ecuadorian keeper Alexander Dominguez, but his shot rang off the crossbar and went over the top of the net — stunning the crowd at NRG Stadium.
But the global soccer icon was bailed out by the stellar play of Martínez and the help from his fellow forwards to advance in the tournament.
After concerns that Messi might not play in the match, he was in Argentina’s starting lineup and contributed to the game’s opening goal in the 35th minute.
Messi’s corner kick was flicked by Mac Allister over to Lisandro Martínez for the goal.
“I think he finished the match well,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said, per the AP. “We asked him how he was feeling for the last time four minutes before the end.”
