Report: Alvarez shift helps Argentina to Copa America triumph | OneFootball

Julian Alvarez played 97 minutes as Argentina beat Colombia 1-0 after extra time in Florida to defend their Copa America title.

A 112th minute finish from substitute Lautaro Martinez was required at the Hard Rock Stadium in a match that was delayed by more than 75 minutes due to difficulties for fans entering through the turnstiles.

Alvarez’s energy in searing heat proved pivotal for Lionel Scaloni’s side as they became the first team ever to win successive Copa America titles having also prevailed in the World Cup between the two editions.

Covering exceptional distances and feeding off scraps, our striker's work rate no doubt tired out the Colombia defence for Martinez to benefit from later on.

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Argentina are now the most successful side in Copa America history, moving ahead of Uruguay with 16 trophies in total.

The 24-year-old’s fifth start in six matches at this tournament came as Scaloni named an unchanged side from the semi-final defeat of Canada.

Our man had the first opening of the evening inside a minute, but he couldn’t divert his first-time shot on target after Gonzalo Montiel’s drilled cross.

Colombia responded brightly and made a chance of their own just five minutes later but Jhon Cordoba saw his volley kiss the post on its way wide.

A period of jousting followed until the 20th minute when a delightful Lionel Messi pirouette opened up space in midfield for him to feed Nicolas Tagliafico.

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The left-back stepped on to the ball and picked out his country’s talisman in the middle who curled towards goal but happened to hit Alvarez whose attempted evasive action proved to be in vain.

With Alvarez occupying the central defenders, Messi was free to roam into space between the lines.

While playing that role restricted Alvarez’s touches of the ball, the striker’s selflessness gave his team a footing in a game against the competition’s great entertainers to this point.

If the humid conditions slowed the game down towards the end of the first period, both sides were refreshed by the extended break due to a half-time show from Colombian superstar Shakira.

Alvarez combined with Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister for a beautiful one-two that almost produced a golden chance for the defending champions.

At the other end, Colombia defender Davinson Sanchez leapt highest in the box but could only head over.

There was a potentially decisive moment just after the hour when, chasing an opponent, Messi fell to the floor and had to be replaced after appearing to injure his leg.

The 37-year-old eight-time Ballon d'Or winner then burst into tears when taking his place on the bench with his fellow substitutes.

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Nico Gonzalez, Messi's replacement, thought he had broken the deadlock shortly after coming on, only to see the offside flag raised for an earlier run in the move.

With extra time growing ever more likely, Gonzalez leapt high to head just inches out of reach of Alvarez.

That agonising opportunity was the final one of the 90 minutes and the game went to a further half an hour.

After putting in an incredible shift in testing temperatures, Alvarez was replaced by Lautaro Martinez in the 97th minute.

The game grew increasingly stretched after Alvarez's substitution until Martinez eventually found the winner in the 112th minute.

After victories over Canada, Chile, Peru and Ecuador on the road to the final, this win ensured another historic achievement for Alvarez and his compatriots.

Alvarez’s international summer will now continue when he represents his country at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, starting later this month.

Congratulations to Julian on this latest achievement!

Argentina XI: E. Martinez, Montiel (Molina 72), Romero, Li. Martinez, Tagliafico, De Paul, Mac Allister (Lo Celso 97), Fernandez (Paredes 97), Di Maria, Messi (Gonzalez 66), Alvarez (La. Martinez 97)

Colombia XI: Vargas, S. Arias, Cuesta, Sanchez, Mojica, Lerma (Uribe 106), Rios (Castano 88), J. Arias (Carrascal 106), Rodriguez (Quintero 91), Diaz (Borja 106), Cordoba (Santos Borre 88)