Players stress importance of unity and describe how war affects their preparations for the tournament
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Hosts out as Copa America prepares for heavyweight quarter-final
JAMES NALTON says there are no easy games in the tournament, as Messi and Argentina soon found out following their clash with Ecuador which ended in narrow victory on penalties
Argentina's Lionel Messi reacts during a penalty shootout against Ecuador at a Copa America quarterfinal soccer match in Houston, July 4, 2024
JUST as election results were coming in thick and fast in the early hours of this morning in Britain, and as US skies were filled with fireworks to celebrate July 4, Lionel Messi was sending a panenka-style penalty kick over the bar in Argentina’s Copa America quarter-final tie with Ecuador.
There was a lot going on. A lot to take in. Argentina had already struggled to get past Ecuador, just about surviving a late surge from their opponents including the added-time equaliser from Kevin Rodriguez that meant the game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes.
There is no extra time in the Copa America knockout rounds until the final itself, so the game went straight to penalties.
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