Argentina's manager has reacted to Lionel Messi's shock penalty miss in their 2024 Copa America tie against Ecuador on Friday morning.
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The Albiceleste advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa America after beating Ecuador 4-2 on penalties in the United States following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes.
It was the Inter Miami No. 10 who stepped up first for the 2022 FIFA World Cup champions, but the crowd was stunned with his Panenka penalty hit the crossbar.
Messi, who returned from injury ahead of the quarter-final match, had a quiet evening in Texas and saw his blushes spared by the brilliant display of penalty saving from teammate Emiliano Martinez.
Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has since urged the public to not be worried about Messi's effort from 12 yards, insisting his side have prioritised the collective.
"He [Messi] played like the rest of the team, we are a team," he said, according to ESPN.
"This is a team, if the team played well, he played well. We have never separated the individual from the collective.
"Leo had a good game, in the end, they also planned a game or system where when we had the ball, two defenders came to attack, so, this is a chess game.
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"He has had seven days away, we didn't notice the inactivity mentioned in the question."
