Can Argentina’s Lionel Messi add to his 109th international goal in the Copa America final? [Getty Images]
Argentina will be looking to make history when they face Colombia in the Copa America final on Monday.
If Lionel Messi’s team wins in Miami it will be their record 16th title in the tournament.
Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, scored in Argentina’s 2-0 victory over Canada to reach the final, while Colombia beat Uruguay 1-0 in the semi-finals, which saw violent clashes between some players and fans in the stands after the final whistle.
The match will kick off at 01:00 BST.
A tale of two countries
Football is one of the main bonds that connect the two countries, located at opposite ends of South America, and it is like a father-son relationship.
Argentina, along with Uruguay, got off to a first start in South American football, while Colombia was the ninth of the continent’s ten countries to participate in the Copa, having first competed in the 18th edition in 1945.
Soon after, Colombia launched a professional league called Pirates, which, being outside the control of FIFA, did not have to pay transfer fees.
Around that time, Argentina’s players were on strike, so Colombia lured many big names north, including the great Alfredo Di Stefano, who played forward for Bogota’s Millonarios for several years before becoming the player who changed European football with Real Madrid.
Since then, there has always been a strong Argentine influence in Colombian football, and the national team coach has often been an Argentinian, as he still is today, with former Swindon Town defender Néstor Lorenzo doing an excellent job.
Argentina are the defending world and continental champions and have won the Copa 15 times. With Sunday’s victory, they will surpass Uruguay as the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
Colombia has only won a tournament at home in 2001, when Argentina refused to participate. Colombia’s biggest win ever was beating Argentina 5–0 in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires in 1993, which was the first time Argentina had lost a qualifying match at home.
However the victory pans out, it will be won in prestige if Colombia can beat their former rivals for the title on Sunday.
A tale of two numbers 10
At club level, James Rodriguez is something of a forgotten man – a career marked by dwindling appearances has seen him become a redundant player for Brazilian club Sao Paulo – but he is shining once again with the national team.
In a highly organised team, he roams freely and finds small spaces to unleash his left-footed magic – his cross to Daniel Muñoz to set up Colombia’s opener against Paraguay was perhaps the most spectacular moment of the tournament, a display of masterful vision that collapsed the entire defence.
Rodriguez turned 33 on Friday and showed in this tournament that he still has plenty of football talent left.
But with the ball still rolling, how much strength does Lionel Messi have left at 37?
Sunday will be Angel Di Maria’s final game for the national team. Could it also be his teammate Messi’s final game, at least as far as the tournament goes? That’s a real possibility.
Messi is using the Copa as a test of his ability to perform at the next World Cup, and so far his form has clearly declined since Qatar.
It’s getting harder to kick the ball away from defenders, and while Messi can still play great plays, he’s doing it less frequently than he used to.
Lionel Scaloni acknowledged this when he dropped Lautaro Martinez in the semi-final for Julián Alvarez, who had the running ability and build-up ability to maneuver. The change was made in Qatar, of course. But Martinez was in poor form then. Now he finds himself on the bench, despite being the Copa’s top scorer.
How will the game unfold?
Argentina were placed in their easiest half of the bracket so far, and won all but their quarter-final against Ecuador with ease. Ecuador played with three in central midfield, allowing Moises Caicedo to push forward freely, giving Argentina considerable trouble, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was once again heroic in the shootout.
Like Ecuador, Colombia is a physically strong team with three players in the center of midfield, making it difficult for Argentina to get into the rhythm of their passing game. Colombia is well-coached and knows exactly where to press: either by dropping deep and keeping it compact, or by massing their attacks high up the field.
In open play, Rodriguez is an excellent supply line for Luis Diaz, and he is also deadly from set pieces, inviting the likes of Davinson Sanchez and Jefferson Lerma to launch aerial attacks.
All of this will be worrying for Argentina’s defense, which has been prone to crumbling late. It happened against France, Holland and Australia in the World Cup, against Ecuador in the Copa and against Canada, where they squandered two golden chances in the final five minutes. One day this will cost Argentina, but will it be on Sunday?
There are two key questions here. The first is an emotional one. England are not the only team playing a first-time final away from home. Colombia are not used to these conditions. The frenzy of enthusiastic fans in the stands can either encourage or hinder a team. How will the team react?
Another question is fitness: the tournament is being played in blistering summer heat, which will take a toll on players, even if some stadiums are air-conditioned.
Colombia played the entire second half of their hard-fought semi-final against Uruguay with 10 men after a day of rest was cut short and Crystal Palace full-back Munoz received a silly red card.
How exhausted has this left them, and do they have enough energy left to bring the curtain down on the Messi show?
