Lionel Messi was named to the starting lineup as Argentina defeated Ecuador in a penalty shootout in the Copa América quarterfinals at NRG Stadium in Houston on Thursday
Lisandro Martinez scored in the first half to put Argentina ahead 1-0, but Ecuador equalized late in the second half to send the game to a shootout after a 1-1 tie.
Emiliano Martinez, the Aston Villa goalkeeper, stole the show by saving two of Ecuador’s spot kicks after Messi missed the first for Argentina.
However, his teammates converted their next four attempts to secure the win and a spot in the Copa semifinals.
Messi, who had missed Argentina’s third group game against Peru due to an injury sustained in their Group A win over Chile, returned to training earlier in the week. His status was described as “day to day” before the match, with head coach Lionel Scaloni saying that whether Messi played depended on how he trained the night before. Scaloni stated that they would decide based on Messi’s performance in training, and fortunately, he was able to start the match.
Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez had previously played together in a pre-Copa America friendly against Ecuador on June 9, leading the team to a 1-0 win while Messi watched from the bench.
Argentina finished top of Group A, winning all three of their games without conceding a goal. The winner of Thursday’s match will advance to the semifinal at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 9.
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