Nine major international tournaments, nine times Lionel Messi
has tasted disappointment with Argentina.
Tuesday's 2-0 defeat
to Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semifinal is the latest in an ever growing
list of heartbreaks with the national team that could leave arguably one of the
greatest players of all time without a trophy for his country.
The latest disappointment
wasn't enough to force Messi into international retirement -- as he did after
defeat to Chile in the 2016 final -- but, uncharacteristically, he didn't hold
back in his criticism of the referee.
"They were not
better than us," Messi told reporters after the game in Belo Horizonte.
"They found the net early and the second goal came from a penalty they
didn't award," added the 32-year-old Barcelona star, referring to a
challenge on Sergio Aguero in the prelude to Roberto Firmino's
strike that made
it 2-0.
"The officiating
was crazy. There were clear penalties, on Nicolas Otamendi, on Sergio Agüero.
"He [the referee]
was on their side. In every divided ball or dispute, he tilted the pitch their
way. It's not an excuse but the truth is that. In this Copa they kept on
blowing for stupid things, for handballs, penalties.
"But today, they
didn't even go to VAR when there were clear plays that should have been looked
at."
It may sound like sour
grapes but on closer examination, perhaps Messi has a point. If fans thought
the use of VAR at the Men's and Women's World Cup was perplexing, this Copa
America has taken the confusion to another level.
Brazil celebrate as
Lionel Messi once again tastes disappointment.
Though it hasn't just
been the use of VAR that's been the problem, it's also the lack of it. On the
two occasions Messi mentioned, Argentina had legitimate shouts for penalty
incidents that were not even reviewed.
South American
governing body CONMEBOL didn't respond to CNN Sport's request for comment on
refereeing standards and the use of VAR at the tournament.
A new hope?
But there may still be
one more chance for Messi to crown his glittering club career with a trophy for
Argentina.
Thanks to CONMEBOL's
scheduling and insistence on aligning the Copa with the European Championships,
next year South America's most prestigious tournament will be played for a
fourth time in six years.
Some have joked that
South America's governing body will choose to have a Copa every year until
Messi finally wins one.
The 2020 competition
will take place in Argentina, too, which is co-hosting the 47th edition along
with Colombia.
Opinion is divided in
Argentina as to who is to blame for the international team's malaise. Many
blame Messi for not performing to the standards he does week in, week out for Barcelona,
while others point the finger at his supporting cast that isn't quite as
star-studded as Barcelona's.
Lionel Messi was
powerless to prevent a ninth straight trophyless tournament.
But, of course, Messi
certainly isn't blameless. For all the accolades and superlatives, the little
magician failed to register a single goal or assist from open play in this
year's Copa, scoring only once from the penalty spot against Paraguay.
Another blank in front
of goal means Messi has only scored four goals in 20 knockout matches when
playing for Argentina.
'Respected and not criticized'
The Argentina
manager's job, currently held by Lionel Scaloni, is arguably the most poisonous
chalice in world football -- the dream job that no Argentine wants to take, but
can't turn down.
The national team,
which has twice won the World Cup, is now onto its fifth manager in the last
six years, each one dismissed with every new failure.
For an international
heavyweight -- perhaps now former heavyweight -- and a team with such a rich
history, a 26-year trophy-less run stretching back to 1993 Copa America is
deemed unacceptable.
But there is a group
of young Argentines making strides, plus some of the current crop, that are
exciting both Messi and public. Spearheaded by 21-year-old Lautaro Martinez,
Argentina's best player against Brazil, many are starting to feel more
optimistic about the future.
Lautaro Martinez is
one of Argentina's exciting new stars.
"Something new is
on the horizon," Messi said on Tuesday night. "The truth is I have
got on very well with this group of players and if I have to help in some way I
will. This is a great group which is growing and if I can join them I will.
"I hope we are respected
and not criticized. They should let the team be and let them grow," Messi
added.
Argentina's
participation in this year's Copa America isn't completely over. The Albiceleste have a third place playoff on Saturday against
the loser of Wednesday's semifinal between Chile and Peru, with the winner
going on to play Brazil in Sunday's final.
