In a rowdy and chaotic final at the Hard Rock Stadium, Argentina needed an extra-time goal by Lautaro Martinez to defend the 2022 Copa America trophy.
Fans crashed security protocol before kickoff
Known for intense play and an extremely passionate fanbase, the one-month tournament wasn’t devoid of controversies and heated moments on and off the field. There was a security breach before the kickoff of the final at the Hard Rock Stadium.
In viral footage we have shared below, fans were seen beating the barricades to crash into the match venue in a rowdy and chaotic pre-match incident. Due to the security breach, the kickoff was delayed and players had to be removed from the pitch. Proceedings resumed after calm was restored.
Copa America 2024 Final: Lautaro Martinez’s late goal secures victory
The Selecao were pressed to the brim by a hard-fighting Colombia, determined to end Lionel Scaloni’s bid to defend the continental crown.
Coming under sustained pressure from the Colombians, the Albiceleste dropped deep to defend, committing more bodies to the defense while hoping to pound on the opponents via quick counters.
It was a feisty affair marked with strong tackles, intense play, and aggressive counters. Argentina had less of the ball, conceding possession to the Colombians but was terrific on the offensive.
Pinned to their half by a more physical Colombian side, the defending champions hoped to pounce in the counter.
Colombia forward, Cordoba, saw the first yellow card in the game in the 27th minute as proceedings took a more physical tempo.
At the break, it was 0-0. There were no real chances created. Argentina held their threats on the attack but were constantly coming under pressure from the opponents.
Argentina goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, was forced to make a series of saves to keep the defending champions in the game but overall, Colombia lacked good finishing to nail home a few chances they created.
The second half met Argentina on the wrong side of proceedings. Six minutes after the hour mark, the team’s captain and prolific player, Lionel Messi was forced off the field with an apparent injury due to “the bad pitch”. Gonzalez came on for his replacement.
Meanwhile, Colombia still stayed atop proceedings going forward, dominating proceedings but it was still a barren run.
After the feisty 90 minutes of action, the deadlock was yet to be broken with the game forced into extra time.
While Colombia wielded control over proceedings, it was still a dead end for the team. Argentina’s solid backline was equal to the task.
Meanwhile, Argentina finally secured their magic moment and made it count. Leandro Paredes had found Lo Celso after he won a midfield duel. Celso then located Lautaro Martinez, who beat Colombia’s goalkeeper Camilo Vargas to give Argentina the lead.
With only eight minutes of extra time left, it was gameover for Colombia. They ramped up attempts to find an equaliser all to no avail as Argentina held on to secure victory.
With the victory, Argentina are now the most successful team in the tournament with 17 Copa America titles, one more than Uruguay.
