Ángel Di María scored, marking a lively return for Lionel Messi to international football after a six-month hiatus, leading Argentina to a narrow 1-0 win over Ecuador in their Copa América prep game this Sunday at Soldier Field, Chicago.
In the game’s strategy, Messi sat out the first half and then stepped in for Di María at the 56th minute mark.
A nagging right hamstring injury had sidelined the eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient and Inter Miami standout from playing in Argentina’s prior Copa América prep games against El Salvador and Costa Rica back in March. “With Leo [Messi], we play it safe. We do the same for others like [Nicolas] Otamendi who didn’t play today. Angel [Di María], Julian [Alvarez], and Lautaro [Martinez] played just a few minutes,” mentioned Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni.
“We’re making sure these players are peaking at just the right time for the tournament,” Scaloni added.
While Messi was on the bench, Di María capitalized on a slick back-pass from Cristian Romero, netting the game’s only goal in the 40th minute.
Di María shared with TyC Sports, “The Copa America’s always tough, and today’s match was no exception. It showed us the level we’re at and I believe we’re on the right track.”
This goal means Di María has scored in two back-to-back international appearances, also finding the net against Costa Rica on March 26. Now with 31 goals for Argentina, the 36-year-old midfielder has caught up with Gonzalo Higuain, becoming the country’s joint fifth-highest scorer, and is just four goals shy of catching up with Diego Maradona.
Next up, Scaloni’s team will conclude their pre-Copa America matches in Washington D.C. this Friday with a game against Guatemala. Their Copa journey begins against Canada on June 20. “Our goal is to gel as a team, clock more game time, and reignite our passion for the national jersey ahead of what promises to be a challenging Copa America,” Scaloni explained.
Meanwhile, Ecuador is set to face Bolivia this Wednesday and then Honduras on June 16, ramping up to their Copa America kickoff against Venezuela on June 22.
