- Argentina closed the Group Stage with a perfect score.
- Peru said goodbye to the tournament.
Highlights
- Brace from Lautaro Martínez, top scorer of the tournament with 4 goals.
- Good debut for Garnacho at CONMEBOL Copa América™.
- Paolo Guerrero set a new record for the Peruvian national team.
Summary of the match
Argentina started the match with several changes, most notably the exit of Lionel Messi and the entry of Alejandro Garnacho, one of the great promises in the new generation of Albiceleste talent. The Manchester United winger played freely, dribbled well, and even had the first shot of the match, which went wide.
Peru, which came with the need for a win to have hope to qualify, had their legend Paolo Guerrero starting from the beginning for the first time in the tournament.
La Bicolor had very little possession and tried to unsettle the Argentine team with counterattacks that were ineffective. Fossati's team did not have any shots during the entire first half.
Argentina had two clear chances in the first 45 minutes to break the deadlock. At 25 minutes, from a free kick on the left: Leandro Paredes put a good curve on the ball, which landed near Gallese's top right corner, who managed to deflect it. Then at 44 minutes, a great collective play led by Di María on the right ended with Lo Celso shooting from the penalty spot and a good response from Gallese; on the rebound, there was a good shot by Garnacho, which just missed the goal.
The first play of the second half brought what was missing in the first: Di María (without controlling the ball) assisted Lautaro Martínez, who was one-on-one with Gallese, chipped it over him, and scored his third goal of the tournament.
The dynamics of the game did not change, and Argentina continued to dominate: Tagliafico scored a goal that was disallowed, and Paredes hit a penalty against the post.
For Peru, Paolo Guerrero was subbed off in the second half, playing his 28th game in this tournament and becoming the Peruvian with the most appearances in the history of the CONMEBOL Copa América™.
At the end of the match, Lautaro Martínez chased a long ball, won with his physicality, and scored his fourth goal of the tournament. Peru came close to scoring their first goal after a header from Zanelatto hit the post.
The final victory marked that Argentina finished first in their Group with a perfect score and will play the Quarterfinals on Thursday, July 4th, in Houston against the second of Group B. For Peru, it meant the end of their journey in the CONMEBOL Copa América 2024™.
Lineups and match information:
Argentina: Emiliano Martínez; Gonzalo Montiel, Germán Pezzella, Nicolás Otamendi, Nicolás Tagliafico; Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso; Ángel Di María (C), Lautaro Martínez Alejandro Garnacho.
Substitutions used: Nicolás González, Enzo Fernández, Guido Rodríguez, Valentín Carboni, Lucas Martínez Quarta,
Cards: Leandro Paredes (yellow)
Coach: Walter Samuel.
Peru: Pedro Gallese; Aldo Corzo, Carlos Zambrano, Alexander Callens Oliver Sonne; Santiago Peña, Wilder Cartagena, Marcos López; Edison Flores, Paolo Guerrero (C), Bryan Reyna.
Substitutions used: Jesús Castillo, Gianluca Lapadula, José Rivera, Franco Zanelatto, Christian Cueva,
Cards: Paolo Guerrero (amarilla), Wilder Cartagena (amarilla), Edison Flores (amarilla), Sergio Peña, Christian Cueva (amarilla).
Coach: Jorge Fossati.
Goals: Second Half: 47 y 86', Lautaro Martínez (A)
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens (Florida)
Superior Player of the Match Michelob ULTRA: Lautaro Martínez (Argentina)
