This archive report was first published on 29 June 2019.
Argentina booked a Copa America semifinal against Brazil after a 2-0 win over Venezuela at the Maracana on June 29, 2019, a result that also marked a strong response to their uneven start in the tournament.
Lautaro Martinez gave Argentina the lead in the 10th minute with a back-heeled finish after Sergio Aguero’s effort was turned goalward from a Lionel Messi corner. Giovani Lo Celso later settled the quarter-final in the 74th minute, finishing into an empty net after another Aguero shot slipped through the hands of Venezuela goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez.
Lionel Scaloni’s team had to absorb pressure after the break, and Franco Armani produced an important save to stop Ronald Hernandez from equalising. Argentina also went close to a second early in the half when Martinez hit the crossbar after running onto a Leandro Paredes pass.
The victory sent Argentina into a first Copa America meeting with Brazil since the 2007 final, which they lost 3-0. Brazil, the tournament hosts, had advanced by beating Paraguay on penalties after a goalless draw on Thursday.
For Argentina, the result carried added weight because it came at the Maracana, the same stadium where they lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany after extra time. That defeat began a run of three straight losses in major finals.
Aguero said the team knew the match would be difficult. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and we’re happy to have reached the semi-finals. Even though we made it hard for ourselves, here we are,” he told reporters.
He added that the Brazil fixture would draw global attention: “Argentina-Brasil causes a lot of excitement around the world, it’s a game you don’t get to play every day but we’ve got here and we’ll try to do as well as possible.”
Argentina had reached the quarter-finals only after a nervy 2-0 win over Qatar in their final group game, following defeats to Colombia and a draw with Paraguay. Venezuela, meanwhile, arrived with a stronger recent record than their history against Argentina suggested, having beaten them 3-1 in a March friendly and gone unbeaten in the previous three meetings.
That progress has been notable for a side that once lost 11-0 to Argentina at the 1975 Copa America. Venezuela also reached the 2017 under-20 World Cup final under coach Rafael Dudamel, despite the political turmoil at home.
Before the match, captain Tomas Rincon had said his team needed to “made a statement”. Instead, Venezuela struggled to threaten before halftime and failed to match Argentina’s intensity over the full 90 minutes.
Dudamel admitted his side fell short. “We weren’t at the level we’re capable of, we struggled to get into the game and we couldn’t offer the physical and mental intensity that was needed,” he said. “We worked hard but we needed to have cooler heads, we spent a lot of energy on battling for the ball but didn’t manage to create much. We leave here feeling bitter but we know we did ourselves proud.”
The win gave Argentina a place in the last four and a chance to face their biggest regional rival with a place in the final at stake.
