Concepcion, Chile: As Lionel Messi has developed during his career he has become an ever-more prolific provider of assists as well as a lethal goalscorer and he gave another wonderful display of creativity at the Copa America on Tuesday.
The Argentina forward, who has yet to find the net from open play in five games at the tournament in Chile, set up three goals for his team mates in a 6-1 drubbing of Paraguay that secured a clash against the hosts in Saturday’s final.
Goals from Angel Di Maria (2), Marcos Rojo, Javier Pastore, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain completed an emphatic rout for the South American giants.
It was the first time Messi made three assists in a single game for his country and only the second time in his career after he achieved the feat playing for Barcelona in a King’s Cup match against Levante in January 2014.
The 28-year-old has 31 assists for club and country so far in 2014-15, two short of his record of 33 from 2011-12.
“It really doesn’t bother me that I am not scoring,” Messi told reporters after the match in Concepcion.
“Hopefully my goal will come in the final,” he added.
“The important thing is to lift the national team as high as possible and it doesn’t matter who gets the goals.” Messi is attempting to win the Copa America to cap a superb season when he helped Barca win a treble of Champions League and domestic league and Cup titles.
He has bounced back in style from a disappointing 2013-14 campaign, when Barca failed to collect major silverware and Argentina were beaten 1-0 by Germany in the World Cup final.
Argentina are trying to win the Copa America for the first time since 1993, having lost to Brazil in 2004 and 2007 before being knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals on home soil in 2011.
“Winning the Copa America would round off something spectacular,” Messi said.
“I think we are coming into the match in good shape, but we will be playing a team with very good individual players.
“Both sides always try to play good football and not leave the opponent any time on the ball.” If he wants to score in Saturday’s final, Messi knows the man in the Chile goal he will have to beat very well: Barcelona team mate Claudio Bravo.
“We’ve been playing well — we knew once we scored one goal, many more would come, and that’s what happened,” said Messi as he collected his man-of-the-match award.
“We got an early goal and then found more space, and then we got the second. We continued to play the same way and more goals came.”
Argentina, who finished runners-up in last year’s World Cup, are determined to clinch a first major title in 22 years at the Copa America.
Manchester United defender Rojo and Paris Saint-Germain’s Pastore had given Argentina a 2-0 lead midway through the first half before Paraguay pulled one back through Lucas Barrios.
But any Paraguayan hopes of repeating their heroics in the group phase — when they came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 — were snuffed out by two goals in six minutes from Di Maria early in the second half.
The carnage was completed with a headed goal from Manchester City striker Aguero in the 80th minute before substitute Higuain made it 6-1 just after coming on.
Argentina’s opener came from a setpiece after 15 minutes.
Messi flighted a teasing free-kick into the area and when the ball dropped to Rojo, the defender reacted quickest and drilled in a low shot.
—Agencies
