Messi Rests as Martinez Scores Brace, Leading Argentina to a 2-0 Victory Over Peru and the Top of Copa America Group A.

Messi Rests as Martinez Scores Brace, Leading Argentina to a 2-0 Victory Over Peru and the Top of Copa America Group A.

Lionel Messi was not in uniform for Argentina on Saturday night, but his presence was strongly felt at the sold-out Hard Rock Stadium. Despite Messi's absence on the pitch, tens of thousands of fans proudly wore his iconic No. 10 jersey as they watched the Albiceleste secure a 2-0 victory over Peru, clinching first place in Copa America Group A.

The win came courtesy of Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, who netted both goals. Martinez has been in exceptional form, scoring four goals in three games. With Argentina having already secured a spot in the quarterfinals, the coaching staff took the opportunity to rest key players, making nine changes to the starting lineup. Messi was given the night off to recover from an upper right thigh injury, with the hope that he will be fit for the knockout stages starting Thursday in Houston.

Although Messi didn’t play, he supported his team from the bench. Each time the stadium screens showed him, the crowd of 64,972 erupted in cheers, chanting “Messi! Messi!” in admiration and anticipation of his return.

He leaped up to celebrate Martinez’s two goals, his joy evident every time the camera panned to him as Argentina dominated from start to finish. Although they took until the second half to find the back of the net, the reigning Copa America and World Cup champions outclassed Peru with their pace and passing. Argentina possessed the ball 74 percent of the game, finishing with six shots on goal compared to Peru's one. With this commanding performance, Argentina secured their place in the knockout rounds alongside Group A runner-up Canada. They are set to play the second-place team from Group B in the quarterfinals. As the final group matches approach, Venezuela leads Group B with six points, while Ecuador and Mexico are tied at three points each.

Argentina’s head coach, Lionel Scaloni, was also absent as he was serving a one-game suspension for taking too long to get his team onto the field for the second half of their first two games against Canada and Chile. Scaloni was fined $15,000 for these delays. In his place, assistant coach Walter Samuel took charge on the Argentina sideline.

We are very pleased with the result, and we got a chance to see players who had not played yet,” Samuel remarked. “Our players were able to remain patient and score the goals in the second half. We have confidence in all 26 players we brought, and we are delighted to have won this game. The guys who had been training so hard deserved to play.

When asked about Lionel Messi’s condition and his availability for the quarterfinals, Samuel responded that they are taking it day by day, and there are several days left for him to recuperate. “Leo was in the locker room with us. He seemed better, and we spoke to him, but it’s premature to discuss his status for the next game,” Samuel said.

Defender Germán Pezzella expressed optimism about Lionel Messi's readiness for Thursday's match. “Hopefully, he can get to 100 percent quickly,” Pezzella remarked. “We see him in a very good mood, and he gives us the feeling that he’ll be with us for the next game.”

In Messi's absence, Ángel Di María, who plans to retire from the national team after this Copa América, wore the captain’s armband. Before the game, Di María shared a touching moment with his young daughter, Mia. They walked hand in hand onto the field and stood side by side during the national anthem. After the anthem, Di María gently kissed Mia on the forehead.

Unfortunately, I only get to wear it when something is wrong with Leo (Messi) and that I don’t like, but it was a special night,” Di Maria said. “And, each time I have worn it we have won, so for that I am very happy. There isn’t much time left for me, so to be able to enjoy it with my family, with my daughter on the field was something very nice.” Di Maria said the team felt at home in South Florida, and has been touched by the huge crowds in Miami, New Jersey and Atlanta. “We always feel like the home team,” he said. “The stadiums are full wherever we go and that is why we want to give the fans the maximum in every game to make them happy. We know the tickets are not cheap and it isn’t easy to get to where we are, so to be able to give them some happiness is very meaningful for us.

With the quarterfinal berth in hand, Argentina’s coaching staff chose to make major lineup changes against Peru. The only two starters from the previous game were goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and defender Nicolas Tagliafico. The rest of Argentina’s Starting XI were: Nicolas Otamendi, German Pezzella, Gonzalo Montiel, Leandro Paredes, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, Lautaro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, and Di Maria. 'Our team has not changed since the World Cup, we keep working the same way and we showed (Saturday) that the younger players played and the team did not suffer,' Di Maria said. 'That’s very important for the coach to know that everyone is available to play.

Peru’s starters were: Pedro Gallese, Carlos Zambrano, Alexander Callens, Oliver Sonne, Aldo Corzo, Bryan Reyna, Sergio Pena, Wilder Cartagena, Marcos Lopez, Edison Flores, and Paolo Guerrero. Andy Polo was scheduled to start, but he felt discomfort during warmups and was replaced by Sonne. The game was tied 0-0 at halftime. Argentina dominated possession with 79% compared to Peru's 21% and had three shots on goal, while Peru had none. Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, who plays for MLS club Orlando City, made three big saves in the first half to keep the Peruvians in the game. Gallese saved a Paredes free kick and also thwarted shots by Di Maria and Garnacho.

Argentina emerged promptly after halftime, seizing immediate control. Martinez broke the deadlock just two minutes into the second half, receiving a through ball from DiMaria and unleashing a right-footed strike from the center of the box, beating Gallese to the right corner. The Inter Milan forward added another goal in the final minutes with a well-executed chip shot.

Martinez has scored in all three Copa America games. He came off the bench and scored in the 88th minute in a 2-0 win against Canada, and again in the 88th minute to salvage a 1-0 victory against Chile.

After the game, Martinez shared how gratifying this tournament has been after suffering through an ankle injury during the Qatar World Cup. 'Obviously, I enjoyed the World Cup with my teammates because it was my first one but it was tough time with a lot of sadness because my ankle was bothering me a lot,' he said. 'There were moments I wanted to have surgery because I couldn’t stand the pain. But now I can enjoy with my family because I worked hard to make up for that World Cup and get to where I am now.' Argentina is seeking its third major title after winning the 2021 Copa America and the 2022 World Cup. With the loss, Peru was eliminated from the tournament. 'Our production today was the weakest of our three games,' said Peru coach Jorge Fossati. 'That has a few reasons. The first is the quality of the opponent. That is indisputable. They have players of very high caliber. Also, we played against a fresher team and physically we suffered after the game against Canada, which was played in a very hot stadium and we finished with 10 men. We couldn’t play our game (against Argentina) and didn’t have the legs we needed.