News : Copa América: Brazil win against Argentina – Sport

Lionel Messi's dream of winning the first title with the Argentine national football team remains unfulfilled in 2019. On a night when the Copa America awoke from its slumber and offered the best, most passionate, dramatic game of the tournament so far, the five-time world footballer was defeated by Argentina in the semi-final of the South American Championship against Brazil in Belo Horizonte with 0-2. The goals were scored by Gabriel Jesus from England's Manchester City (19th minute) and Roberto Firmino from Champions League winner Liverpool (71).

"E-li-minados !!" chanted the spectators on the stands of the Estádio Mineirão - long before a match was over, which was the fifth in series for the Brazilians without a clean sheet. Messi also put a stop to the referee, as he put the yellow cards on the Argentines in the first half. In addition, there were two eleven-meter scenes that were not checked by the video umpire. "The referee took our decisions out of the game," Messi said.

The controversial coach Lionel Scaloni blew in the same horn. "We made a very good impression, we were superior," said Scaloni. This was actually the case in phases. Messi strengthened the acting since 2016 Scaloni back. It's a good group together, "she needs continuity." He wanted to continue on his own. After the final defeat at the Copa América 2016, he had declared his later revised resignation.

The day, which ended so bitterly for the Argentines that players like Paredes and Lautaro Martínez shed bitter tears on the pitch after the end, had begun extremely uncomfortable. At their team hotel, the alarm rings at 06.30 clock - allegedly a sabotage reaction, which should have been executed by a staff member of the five-star residence. If the night had been so short - at least the adrenaline, which exuded the stadium in the evening, should have aroused the last.

Because in Mineirão - the stage on which the DFB-Eleven 2014 smashed the World Cup dream of the Brazilians with an everlasting 7: 1 - was filled with 52000 spectators. And offered a fascinating spectacle even before the game began. All Brazilian players were hilariously hailing as the line-up was read out. All Brazilians - and one Argentine: Lionel Messi, 32. And that was due to a sincere reverence and possibly a hunch: that he would stand for the sixth time in a competitive match against Brazil without a goal and without a win.

Compared to the quarter-final match against Venezuela on Friday, the Argentinians repeated two things. Messi sang again (for the second time in his life before a game of his team) the Argentine anthem. And coach Scaloni ran for the first time in his career in two games one after the other the same team. However, the urge they showed against Venezuela was not obvious at first.

On the contrary: Argentina was polarized to meet the impetus of the Brazilians with stoic calm. Nevertheless, they had the first chance, by a 30-meter strong shot from Leandro Paredes (12), the ball flew just over the Brazilian goal. Only then did the Brazilians turn their sterile dominance into scoring opportunities. Forward Gabriel Jesus dribbled into nirvana (17) after an absurd mistake in Argentina's Juan Foyth's development. A few seconds later, however, he showed presence of mind.

After the 1-0 Argentina falls into melancholy

Captain Daniel Alves dismantled the Argentinians' defensive midfield by first snatching Acuña, then paring out Paredes and finally serving Firmino, who fitted Gabriel Jesus from the right side of the box. He struck flat from five yards into the goal - and shot the Brazilians with his first tournament goal in the lead.

The Argentines fell into melancholy. A standard Messis from the half-field but ignited her speech again, reversed the sign of the game after half an hour: Agüero headed Messi's high kick into the penalty area free kick on the crossbar, from there he visibly jumped in front of the line. It was followed by a Messi solo over half the field, which resulted in a pass on Agüero, but this time the bleached attacker failed at an acute angle to goalkeeper Allison (30). But nothing was more uplifting than a Messi dribble in the penalty area, in which he made four Brazilians seem more hip stiff than any German second-league stopper. The audience reacted with "Messi" calls. Mind you: the Brazilian audience.

After the break, Argentina began to string together moves that exuded a scent of balance in the stadium. After long-distance shots by Lautaro Martínez and Rodrigo De Paul began the initially so feverish audience to cool down, misguided actions of their own team with whistles to quit. Only a delicacy of Gabriel Jesus was goutiert: He played Coutinho free, but passed the goal from eleven meters. In the 57th minute almost Messi's hour had struck: A lopsided shot by Lautaro Martínez he fired from an acute angle to the post. A little while later, goalkeeper Allison held a free kick that Messi had squared out of 18 yards (66 ').

But when everything suggested that Brazil was stumbling on a defensive battle, Gabriel Jesus reappeared. After a scene in which the Argentinians complained a Strasbourg, Gabriel countered Jesus on the left side, let his city teammate Otamendi get out on his 50-meter path among others - and served Firmino with a fine pass. The former Hoffenheimer only had to intervene to seal the ninth victory of Brazil in the eleventh South American classic, which was held as part of the Copa América.

Brazil meet in the final of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday the winner of the match between Peru and defending champion Chile, they carry out on Wednesday in Porto Alegre the Pacific classic. A victory for Brazil would be the first victory in an international tournament since 2007. "We have taken the first step, now the second has to follow," said Brazil captain Dani Alves.