Argentina will face Brazil in the Copa America final after the Tango players beat Colombia 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday following a 1-1 draw in their semi-final in Nacional de Brasilia, in the Brazilian capital.
Earlier, Argentina had taken the lead on the start whistle after seventh minutes of play through Martinez.Rodrigo de Paul found Messi in the penalty box with a through pass. The star earned his fifth assist in the tournament with a pass to Lautaro Martinez, who put the ball in the right corner past Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina. The result held steady throughout the first half.
With no extra time, penalties were needed after Luis Diaz equalized in the 61st-minute to cancel out Lautaro Martinez's first-half opener.
This goal that gave the Colombians hope to return to the match, as they launched several attacks on the Argentine goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, who protected Argentina until the last minute of the confrontation.
The two teams resorted to penalty kicks, so Argentina scored three kicks through Leo Messi, Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez, after the Argentine goalkeeper was as his usual remarkable brilliant self in Argentina's final 2021 Copa, who glowed in his den when he managed to block three Colombian kicks to take the "Biceleste" team to the final next Sunday to encounter “Samba” the Brazil national team.