ARGENTINA won its first trophy since 1993, and Lionel Messi finally earned silverware with his national team as the side beat Brazil 1-0 at the Maracana in the 2021 Copa America final Saturday.

Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo de Paul made a long pass to Angel di Maria. The 33-year-old veteran striker counted on some sloppy defending from left-back Renan Lodi to take control and lob it past goalkeeper Ederson.

When the match ended, a tearful Messi knelt down and put his hands on his face. Then most of his teammates ran in his direction to celebrate and threw him into the air. Once criticized by Argentina fans for his quietness, he went to the few hundred guests chanting his name at the Maracana and chanted with them. Messi kissed the trophy before lifting it into the air during the presentations.

The match at the Maracana started with some surprises. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the starting lineup that beat Colombia on penalties in the semifinal.

Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuna, Leandro Paredes and Di Maria took the places of Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Tagliafico, Guido Rodriguez and Nicolas Gonzalez.

Brazil, a team recognized for its steadiness, did not make any changes from the team that advanced to the final.

The teams were cautious early in the match, barely offering chances. When Argentina opened the scoring in a rare Brazil defensive mistake and Di Maria’s classy finish, the match became more physical and Argentina successfully stopped the ball from getting to Neymar.

Neymar tried hard with dribbles and passes, but the Selecao barely threatened Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half. Argentina sat in the back, hoping for counterattacks.

Brazil coach Tite tried to change the dynamic of the match by replacing defensive midfielder Fred for Roberto Firmino, and managed to do so for much of the second half. But though the Selecao had more ball possession there were few real opportunities.

Messi’s performance in the final was not as impressive as in previous matches of the tournament, during which he scored four goals and had five assists. He had a clear opportunity in the 88th minute, tried to dribble Ederson, but the Brazilian goalkeeper stopped him.

“I can’t cry yet,” Di Maria said after the match. “We dreamed of getting this, and we fought. Many people criticized us and asked us not to come back [to the national team].”

The title, however, provides Messi some relief after all the questions throughout his career on his effectiveness playing for the national team.

The South American trophy is a relief for Argentina, which won its last major title when Messi was only 6 years old. Saturday’s victory in Rio gave the team its 15th Copa America title, equaling Uruguay’s total. (SD-Agencies)