SEATTLE– A not entirely meaningful match quickly turned into a one-sided display on Tuesday night in front of 45,753 at CenturyLink Field, as Argentina topped Bolivia 3-0 in Copa America group stage play.
With the victory, Argentina handily won Group D with three wins in three matches. The Argentines advance to face Venezuala in the quarterfinals on Saturday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Erik Lamela opened the scoring in just the 13th minute with a 20-yard free kick that left goalkeeper Carlos Lampe flat-footed when it deflected off the wall and into the left-side netting. Ezequiel Lavezzi earned the initial foul, skinning three defenders before getting tripped from behind for the free kick.
Within moments the heavily Argentine crowd began chanting for Leo Messi, who started the match on the bench but took the field to start the second half.
Argentina shredded the Bolivian defense for a second goal just two minutes later. Augusto Fernandez made the initial pass, finding Sergio Aguero streaking into a sea of space behind the defense. Aguero then found Gonzalo Higuain at the back post. Lampe delivered a reaction save on Higuain’s header, but Lavezzi pounced on the deflection and volleyed past Lampe for the 2-0 lead.
Victor Cuesta added the third goal of the half in the 32nd minute, streaking in front of goal and redirecting a Lavezzi shot into the back of the net for the 3-0 lead.
It was surely a dispiriting night for the smattering of Bolivian fans in attendance. Their team lost its three tournament matches by a combined score of 7-2, and has now lost seven straight games. On Tuesday night, Bolivia controlled less than 20 percent of first-half possession without mustering a single shot, and never looked capable of remotely troubling their opponents.
Argentina, on the other hand, seems ascendant as it searches for its first significant trophy in more than two decades.
Messi thrilled the crowd with some dazzling displays and barely missed the upper-left corner on a 20-yard free kick, but never found the back of the net..
With passage to the quarterfinals guaranteed, Argentina rested Messi, Javier Mascherano, and Javier Pastore to start the match. The Argentines were also without Angel di Maria, who injured his thigh in Friday’s 5-0 win over Panama. Di Maria’s injury doesn’t seem as severe as initially feared, but head coach Gerardo Martino has not said when the Paris St.-Germain midfielder might return to the pitch.
Argentina advanced to the quarterfinals with convincing wins over Chile and Panama in its first two matches, while the Bolivians were eliminated after losing 2-1 to both Panama and Chile.
Argentina has compiled now compiled a 26-5-6 all-time record against Bolivia, outscoring the La Verde 95-32 in the process. Bolivia has only mustered 2 wins in 14 Copa America matches against Argentina.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Lavezzi. Earned the free kick that led to the first goal and scored the second goal to put the match away.
MATCH TO FORGET
Bolivia. Harsh, but hard to find anyone who showed much for a team that lost 3-0, was outshot 10-2, and controlled just 14 percent of possession as it lost its third straight match of the tournament.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
The second goal. A beautiful build-up and the lethal display a mostly neutral and Argentine crowd paid to see.