EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Lionel Messi put his penalty kick over the crossbar,
grabbed his shirt, clenched his teeth and put both hands over his face.
A few minutes later he walked off the field, a dazed, pained look on his
bearded face. The greatest player of his generation, perhaps soccer's best
ever, he was still without a heading on Argentina's national team.
"The national team is over for me," he told the Argentine network
TyC Sports after Chile beat Argentina for the Copa America title Sunday night.
"It's been four finals, it's not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I
wanted the most, but I couldn't get it, so I think it's over."
Chile beat Argentina in the final for the second straight year, 4-2 in the
shootout following a 0-0 tie that ended an expanded 16-nation edition in the
United States to mark the championship's 100th anniversary.
Messi, five-time FIFA Player of the Year, winner of four Champions League
titles and eight Spanish La Liga crowns with Barcelona, was crushed. Much of
his nation had counted on him to bring home its first major title since 1993.
Playing two days after his 29th birthday, Messi lost a final for the third
year in a row and the fourth time overall with Argentina. There was also the
2007 Copa final with Brazil, when he was still a wunderkind, and then an extra-time
defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup.
A crowd of 82,076 filled MetLife Stadium - the largest to see a soccer sport
in New Jersey - and many wore his No. 10 jersey in Argentina's blue and white
and Barcelona's navy and red.
Francisco Silva converted the shootout finale for the fifth-ranked La Roja
after goalkeeper Claudio Bravo - Messi's Barcelona teammate - made a diving
stop on Lucas Biglia's attempt. Chile, ranked fifth in the world, upset the
top-ranked Albiceleste.
On an ill-tempered evening that included a first-half ejection on each side
and eight yellow cards, the game was scoreless through regulation and 30
minutes of extra time, with Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain missing a clear
goal-scoring opportunity for the third straight final. Argentina outshot Chile
16-4 and La Roja collapsed three, four and even five defenders around Messi,
then chopped down the diminutive attacker when he tried to accelerate toward
the goal.
Messi, who scored five goals in the tournament, sent a free kick that Sergio
Aguero nearly headed in 10 minutes into extra time, only to have Bravo jump and
extend his right hand to tip the ball over the crossbar. Messi's free kick in
extra time went off the wall.
Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved the opening kick by Arturo Vidal,
and up stepped Messi, considered alongside Brazil's Pele and Argentina's Diego
Maradona as the sport's greatest ever. While he won the titles at the under-20
and Olympic (under-23) levels for Argentina, in the minds of many he needs a
championship with his nation's senior team to solidify his situate in history
Messi sent his shot over Bravo into the stands. Nicolas Castillo and Charles
Aranguiz converted their kicks for Chile, and Javier Mascherano and Sergio
Aguero made theirs, leaving the teams tied 2-2 after three rounds.
Jean Beausejour put Chile ahead, and Bravo dived to his right, saving
Biglia's blast and bringing up Silva, a 30-year-old midfielder. Messi briefly
pulled his jersey of his face, as if not wanting to watch.
Romero dived to his left and the shot went in to his right, giving Chile
another title.
Messi crouched over, as if in pain, then got up, took off his captain's
armband and walked to the bench, where he was consoled by Angel Di Maria. After
Messi came back on the field, Aguero put a hand on one of Messi's shoulders.
And new FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave Messi a pat on the back when Messi
came onto the podium with his teammates for his second-place medal. Messi
almost immediately took it off.
The tournament's average crowd of 46,119 was nearly double the 25,223 in
Chile last year, and attendance will be used by the U.S. Soccer Federation as
justification it deserves to host a World Cup again, likely as part of a bid
for the 2026 tournament.
Brazilian referee Heber Lopes became the focus in the first half, ejecting a
brace of defenders: Chile's Marcelo Diaz in the 28th minute and Argentina's
Marcos Rojo in the 43rd. After issuing six yellow cards during a World Cup
qualifier between the nations in March, Lopes handed out eight yellows,
including one to Messi for diving in the 40th minute, and the two reds.
Diaz got his first yellow for hacking down Messi about 28 yards out in the
16th minute, then got his second for obstructing a charging Messi about 30
yards out. Rojo received a straight red when he slid into Arturo Vidal from
behind and poked away the ball, but Vidal's leg bent awkwardly under his body
as he fell.
Higuain had the best first-half chance in the 21st minute when he picked up
a giveaway from Gary Medel, dribbled in and chipped the ball over Bravo only to
have it turn over wide of the far post. It was almost the exact time he broke
in alone during the World Cup final against Germany and also shot wide. Higuain
also missed a tap-in of Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross during the final minute of
regulation in last year's final, then sent his penalty kick during the shootout
over the crossbar.