Argentina on the wrong end of Copa America penalty drama

, 26 June, 32comments  |  Jump to most recent
Argentina's international trophy drought continues after they were beaten in a penalty shootout in the Copa America Centenario Final in New Jersey.

Ramiro Funes Mori played the full 120 minutes yet again but both teams were reduced to 10 men before half-time and the match ended goalless after extra time, triggering spot-kicks to decide the winner of the tournament that has been played in the United States for the past four weeks.

Lionel Messi uncharacteristically missed with his country's first penalty after Arturo Vidal had also failed to score but for the Chileans, but Claudio Bravo saved from Lucas Biglia to give Francisco Silva the chance to decide the match which he successfully did.

It was a result that prompted the shock decision by Messi to retire from international football in frustration at the Albiceleste's fourth loss in the final in the past 12 years.  



Reader Comments (32)

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Anthony Hawkins
1 Posted 27/06/2016 at 12:13:48
I find it highly contentious to call Argentina the worlds #1 team when they can't win anything. That and the number of 'retirements' because the team won't win.
Paul Kelly
2 Posted 27/06/2016 at 13:15:06
Retire? Pathetic. This is one decision that shouldn't be in any footballers hands, if your playing at club level you should automatically available to your country, shit houses the lot of 'em who do this. Lose all respect for players who do this, Shearer, Scholes to name a few.
Paul Conway
3 Posted 27/06/2016 at 13:15:38
It's like with the majority of professionals, it's not the money that counts... it's winning trophies! :)
Peter Roberts
4 Posted 27/06/2016 at 13:23:14
Retiring at 29 from international football.

Maradonas place as the greatest is firmly cemented.

Clarence Yurcan
5 Posted 27/06/2016 at 14:22:20
I wanted to see this match at the stadium since it was being held in my neck of the world, but the tickets were exorbitantly priced, so I settled for TV.

Peter #4, you are absolutely right. It's pathetic the great and sainted Messi hasn't been able to win a major tournament still. And this isn't a scenario like Ronaldo carrying an otherwise mediocre outfit; Argentina is arguably the world's most talented team. They're so good Sergio Aguero comes off the bench for them! And Carlos Tevez, even in the height of his exploits, couldn't get into the squad.

Anyone who saw Messi's penalty kick last night knows; that was absolutely one of the worst kicks in the history of penalty shootouts. It was as if they grabbed a fan from the stands to come down and try and hit a spot kick in front of 80,000 people.

Andrew Presly
7 Posted 27/06/2016 at 14:45:28
Very proud to see one of our players involved at the business end of such a prestigious tournament. Well in Ramiro!
George Stuart
8 Posted 27/06/2016 at 14:56:50
I see briefly that our fine young centre-back has had to be content with a runners-up medal in the Copa America. And once again it is the magnificence of the penalty shootout that decided it.

I haven't bothered watching it as I am fed up of having a major tournament decided by which team's goalkeeper is the better cheat. Memories of Dudeck against Milan spring to mind...

I hear that a new rule allows for the goalie to be yellow-carded in the shootout now but I hardly think that is sufficient. Long story short – reinstate replays and screw the TV companies.
Mick Davies
9 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:00:58
They should have let Funes-Mori take the first pen. Knows how to score a goal or two and is cool under pressure.
As Andrew @7 says, very proud for an Everton player to be in the final of such a prestigious tournament . . just wondering whether any Everton players were in the Chile squad?
John Pierce
10 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:27:21
For those who watched the game, neigh the tournament, it will be apparent that Mori against modest opposition playing for a dominant team was error strewn in his performances

Moreover last night in particular, skewed clearances, rash tackles and one cruncher which given the nature of the referee was fortune indeed to escape a red card

I'm of the opinion even the powers of a world class defender in Koeman will not be able to coax a more stable performance from Mori. We paid way more for Koldrup! I'd personally ship him out, hes more of a Bilic or Materazzi for me in temperament, will miss several games through suspension. Taxi for Mori

Vamos! Funes Mori

Shane Corcoran
11 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:34:26
Bloody hell. Are you all on the beer?

Anthony, they're number 1 as measured by however FIFA do their rankings. Don't let it bother you, if it does.

Paul, a player must make himself available for his country is he still plays? Black and white issue, nothing else to consider? Usually the posters on ToffeeWeb don't have a good word to say about international football, some don't even like football, just Everton which is the most bemusing of all.

Maradona is the greatest because Messi retired early? Could you explain that please?

Clarence, are you saying that Messi shouldn't be hailed as a great player as he hasn't won an international tournament? Is there any point actually watching football to form an opinion or should I just consult the record books?

George, if we had no shootouts and just endless replays could you imagine the whinging (and rightly so) of the various clubs' stakeholders (fans included) when their players weren't fit to start the season?

Sorry but I've been away at the Euros and from TW for a few weeks and either you've all gone mad from not watching the Blues or this come-down is hitting me harder than I thought.

John Pierce
12 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:41:25
Shane, whilst the argument is more complicated than what you've won, it does carry weight to who was or is the best ever etc.

Is Messi a great player, undoubtably he is, does he rank higher than Ronaldo or Zlatan, sure.

But does he sit at the same table as Maradona, Charlton, Pele, etc. Perhaps without a world or even continetal title, thats a tough stretch I'd proffer?

And yes always on the ale, and have learnt through fastidous study I can hold both my ale and a argument simultaneously, hic!


Paul McGinty
13 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:49:26
Two high quality teams going at it full on for 120 minutes,... Whats not to like about that. Obviously some old school nastiness in there ...two rivals with attacking flare so Sanchez, Messi, Di Maria were going to be subject to tackles that we don't see in the the modern Premier League.

As for Funes Mori, after the sending off, he was moved out wide left from centre-back.. defensively he made a late game-saving tackle. To be critical, left wing-back is not his best position because he is limited going forward, As to temperament, compared to Vidal, Medel and many others, he was calmness personified. Mascherano and Vidal were immense for their respective teams.

On the contrary to the comments passed previously, to see world class players so obviously highly distraught at losing a game for their country is actually refreshing at a time when the game is so commercialized. 82,000 plus in New Jersey to watch the game. I thought the tournament was great overall and it shows how deep the talent pool is coming out of South and even Central America.

Paul Kelly
14 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:50:22
Why not Shane? should be an honour not a hindrance to a player.

They give up far too easily IMO.

Olalekan Taofik
15 Posted 27/06/2016 at 15:54:30

It was a decent game for Funes Mori. Tell him there's always another and another.

Take heart, guys... "Don't cry for me, Argentina".

Shane Corcoran
16 Posted 27/06/2016 at 16:06:24
John, world titles are won by teams. I'm barely old enough to remember the '86 World Cup and granted Maradona (in this 30 year old memory) was as close to a one man team as there was but then again the lads around him probably contributed to it. Also, the quality of opposition would be one of many other factors.

Messi is the greatest player I've ever seen. Him not winning an international trophy is a regret no doubt, but to repeat myself, teams win trophies, not players.

Paul, I agree it's an honour and I hate to see lads packing it in but to state it in such a black and white manner is wrong. There's the prolonging of your club career, the inability to get on with a manager, or in Neil Lennon's case, for example, bullets in the post to consider.

Clarence Yurcan
17 Posted 27/06/2016 at 16:27:59
Shane, I just think to be hailed as a top, all-time great you need to win at club and country. And it's not as if Messi has been stuck on Iceland or some such; he should have won at least a Copa america with Argentina.
Shane Corcoran
18 Posted 27/06/2016 at 16:40:59
Clarence, I understand your point but I disagree with it.

It implies that the winning of the tournament is purely down to Messi and it's not.

It's down to his team-mates, the quality of opposition and any number of factors that might arise at the time of the tournament.

I was very disappointed with his performance at the last World Cup despite what the stats will tell you. The word was that the tax case was weighing on him and he had a below average season.

Mick Davies
19 Posted 27/06/2016 at 17:34:50
Most of you are missing the whole point of Association Football i.e. it's a team game: who knows what Giggs could have done with players like Burruchaga and Passarella, or even Lineker and Gascoigne? You can't quantify a player's ability by the International medals he has/hasn't won? I wonder how Pele would have fared in the 58 Wales squad?
As for Funes Mori, whatever he did in the tournament, I've seen enough of him to know he's got the makings of a good PL defender, and my first Everton game featured a certain Brian Labone, so I can safely say I've seen some really good/bad CH's in my time
Paul Kelly
20 Posted 27/06/2016 at 17:51:20
Exception to every rule, I'll agree, especially when a your life is threatened in such away, but prolonging your club career? Is there a evidence to validate this? In what way?, or how? More like a convenient excuse that is thrown out there by many which is swallowed by all.

I really don't buy into it.

Jay Wood
21 Posted 27/06/2016 at 18:05:57
Paul Kelly.

Bit draconian of you, don't you think?

His body, his career, his choice.

Some very strange opinions being expressed on this thread, as Shane highlights.

Clarence Yurcan
22 Posted 27/06/2016 at 18:25:35
Shane, completely agree, no one player can win on his own, but I feel if you're are going to be constantly touted as the best player of all time (as Messi often is) you should be able to lift an already-pretty good side to at least one international title. He's obviously great, but I personally will not put him on a Maradona or Pele level until he wins a major international trophy. But I understand others disagree.

Regarding Funes Mori, I watched most of this tournament, and he looked pretty good from what I saw. Perhaps could turn out to be the most astute Roberto signing?

Jeremy Jansen
23 Posted 27/06/2016 at 19:51:27
I too watched most of the tournament -including being fortunate enough to make it to the USA vs. Ecuador game as it was in my backyard. Anyhow, I was rooting for Funes Mori and thought he had a decent enough tournament despite being played as a wingback at times. I must admit though, he has shown time and time again he has a mistake in him which I truly hope he can sort out at some point. Despite that, I appreciate having him in our squad as he is the only player we have who seems to be a threat from a corner. If our new manager can work out some of the kinks, the guy really has boat load of potential.
Michael Winstanley
24 Posted 27/06/2016 at 20:03:00
It's about him not showing he's the best when it really matters, he hasn't carried his team to glory, he's failed.

Nicholas Ryan
25 Posted 27/06/2016 at 23:01:42
If greatness is measured only by winning tournaments, then George Best must have been really shit !!
Jamie Crowley
26 Posted 27/06/2016 at 23:08:45
Michael at 24 -

He's the sole and entire reason his team got anywhere near glory...

Messi is, without a doubt, a ridiculously talented, fantastic footballer. The best I've ever seen and no one else - no one - comes even close in my opinion. I'm with Shane - it's a team game.

And quite unfortunately for Lionel, he plays for the Buffalo Bills... look it up...

Oh, and I thought Funes Mori was actually excellent over the course of the tournament. Not sure where the negativity is coming from because I thought he was very good.

John Pierce
27 Posted 28/06/2016 at 00:14:45
Time will tell on Mori but, its worth taking a look at his performances in the Copa, in most games he had little to do, yet consistently made an error. The happless nature of most of the oppostion made the consequences moot.

By way of a measure, Otamendi, who for many the jury is still out, was given the same light work load in his Copa games and did make mistakes but by no means as numerous as Mori.

As he is young and actually has a very good brand,
social media et al. I'd be surprised if Koeman kept him more than a season if that. Too rash, too error prone for the English game

Prove me wrong lad!

Clarence Yurcan
28 Posted 28/06/2016 at 00:51:51
Jamie Crowley, yeah you're right, the rest of the Argentina team is so crap besides Messi. Who's heard of anyone else on this squad? They must all be playing in the lower leagues of South American club football, right? Where was this footballing backwater known as Argentina before the sainted Messi came along? No one had ever heard of 'em!
Julian Wait
29 Posted 28/06/2016 at 01:56:33
That Mascherano was pretty good eh? I'd take him ...
Jamie Crowley
30 Posted 28/06/2016 at 03:01:39
Clarence -

Messi just makes that team better. Period.

It's not that Argentina are crap without him. Not at all.

But he's the reason they go to World Cup finals and Copa finals and aren't dumped earlier in my opinion.

He's that influential and that good.

When I say he plays for the"Buffalo Bills" I should explain... I mean to say Argentina are like the Bills - so, so many times runners up in major tournaments, a la the five time Super Bowl attendees in Buffalo. That's the only link I'm attempting to make - both teams have come so close but can't / couldn't get over the proverbial hump.

It's not a comparison to state Messi plays alongside pub players - that's absurd obviously.

Abhishek Saha
31 Posted 28/06/2016 at 04:33:02
Funes Mori now firmly cemented as the first choice centre back for Everton. We have now Jags, Stones, Funes Mori. One more, not so high profile, would well settle this department.

Or with Mason Holgate and Matty Foulds for the future, encash Stones now and use the money for 2 good signings, 20m apiece.

COYB!

Anthony Dwyer
32 Posted 28/06/2016 at 09:03:52
I feel for Funes Mori, he seems like a winner to me; it would have been a big boost to him gearing him up for next season with the Blues. Hopefully he reacts well and comes back better for the experience.

I love Jags, but I'd be buzzing if Funes Mori and Stones could keep him out of our starting 11 next season and provide our new manager with a solid defence that we could build a bright blue future on.

Some people have given Funes Mori unfair criticism IMO, he looked assured most of the time in a team that had no confidence at all.

I think under Ronald he will really flourish into a world star.

Matt Ostnes
33 Posted 28/06/2016 at 13:34:07
#27, Look at this final match, 89 minutes aprox: a cross in to Alexis Sanchez and Funes Mori (who was playing as left-back at that time) made an EPIC save that gave life to Argentina. I've seen the same like dozens of times with River.

In NBA terms, Funes Mori is "Clutch". What does this mean? Means that in the heavy games he always shines. Yes, he has this meltdown in the last derby. But also remember the first Funes Mori derby where he made a last-minute save against Sturridge.


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