Lionel Messi was at his sensational best when Argentina met Uruguay in their Copa America group stage encounter. Not only did he set up Guido Rodriguez for the winner in the match that ended 1-0 to the Albiceleste, but he also was a menacing presence for Uruguayan defenders all throughout the outing – the best example of which came in an incredible run from his own half.
The Barcelona superstar rolled back the years in a counter-attacking move in the 27th minute, by taking on and keeping three Uruguayan defenders at bay as he tried to carve out another goal-scoring opportunity for his teammates to pounce on.
As Argentina cleared the ball out of danger, it dropped to their captain in their own half – who resisted pressure from a couple of opponents, and then put his trademark acceleration on display as he ran with half of the field ahead of him.
Messi ran amok, twisting and turning as only he can, with next to no support alongside him. The lack of support was not a problem for the little Argentine though, as the Uruguayan defenders backed off from him – scared to commit because of Messi’s lightning-quick turn of pace and deceptive centre of gravity.
Finally, upon being confronted by three defenders after reaching the edge of the Uruguayan penalty area, Messi showed incredible strength to shield the ball from all of them and showed his vision by laying it off to an unmarked Nahuel Molina in the area.
The fullback’s right-footed shot tested Fernando Muslera in goal for Uruguay and won his team a corner, but the passage of play truly belonged to Messi.
It was thanks to his brilliant dribbling run taking on a quartet of Uruguayans that carved out a goalscoring opportunity, which also served as an instance of his unparalleled influence on the Albiceleste. Argentina will need Messi at his very best if they want to finally lift the crown of South American football after 28 years.
