Argentina was crowned champion of Copa América for the second straight year last night after defeating Colombia in a match preceded by pregame madness.
Just hours before the game was to start, fans of both teams stormed through the gates of Hard Rock Stadium in an attempt to make their way in for free. Police quickly responded by closing the gates temporarily delaying kickoff for an hour and 15 minutes. After the referee’s whistle blew, however, the teams started playing ferociously.
There were no goals in the first 45 minutes. In the second half, Argentina’s Lionel Messi injured his foot badly and had no choice but to sit out for the rest of the game. The Argentina captain was caught on camera sobbing. It may well be his last Copa América tournament with the national team.
Argentina’s Lautaro Martinez scored the first goal in the match. Minutes after, the referee called time and the stadium turned sky blue and white.
While the win was a major triumph for the South American team, it also came with sadness. The final marked a farewell for Angel Di Maria, who said he would retire from the team after the Copa América was over.
“…I hope [Di Maria] has a happy and blessed life,” said Argentina fan Maria Silvana Napolitano after the final. “He gave us everything and much more.”
