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Chile won their second consecutive Copa America and it was an exact repeat of last year’s victory as they beat Argentina by virtue of winning a Penalty Shoot Out.
Chile also have managed to keep hold of their UFWC crown as they do a second UFWC/Copa America double but although they have the silverware the biggest headline to come out of the game is the fact that Lionel Messi has subsequently gone on to retire from International Football.
It’s Argentina’s 4th final defeat in 9 years and third consecutive defeat in terms of years as they add this defeat to 2014 World Cup despair and 2015 Copa America heartbreak and it seems as if this one defeat to much for Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
Messi has never won a major tournament and that is the one thing that keeps him from being compared from players such as Pele and Maradona who themselves one at least one world cup and can lay true claim to being the worlds best.
But is winning a Champions League more difficult in this day and age, to win 4 in the space of 10 years certainly brings it’s own merit and many would say that the UEFA club tournament is the harder to win but for me I think you have to at least a World Cup to your trophy haul to really be considered one of THE all time greats
He couldn’t lead his Argentina side to victory in the small hours of the morning and Argentina’s cause wasn’t helped by the fact he missed a penalty. It was Argentina’s first spot kick of the shootout and although Arturo Vidal missed Chile’s first effort previously, that was as good as it got for the Argentine’s
Chile would go onto score their next three efforts, Lucas Biglia would also miss for Argentina which left Chile’s Francisco Silva just one kick away from winning the Copa America for Chile. He stepped up and slotted home to give Chile back to back Copa America wins.
Messi couldn’t even come away with individual honours as Chile’s Eduardo Vargas came away with the tournament Golden Boot. His 6 goals put him top of the scoring charts, one more than Lionel Messi who finished second with 5.
For Chile they now take the UFWC crown through to the South American World Cup qualifiers. Next up it’s a trip to Paraguay in what will be their first defence since last night’s success in America, they currently find themselves 4th in the group but with Colombia and Brazil behind them they can’t afford not to pick up all three points in what is an incredibly congested group.
Here is all you need to know from last night’s final
