Barcelona star Lionel Messi may never play for Argentina again following the national team’s Copa America Centenario final loss to Chile on Sunday night.

Lionel Messi Retires From International Soccer

Argentina lost 4-2 on penalties to Chile after a 0-0 tie at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and Messi, who looked utterly heartbroken after missing Argentina’s first penalty, stated following the match that his international career is over.

“My thinking right now and thinking about it in the locker room, I’m done playing with the national team,” the 29-year-old forward told a group of reporters, including ESPN’s Diego Monroig. 

When continually pressed about whether he was officially retiring or not, Messi simply said: “I tried my hardest. It’s been four finals, and I was not able to win. I tried everything possible. It hurts me more than anyone, but it is evident that this is not for me. I want more than anyone to win a title with the national team, but unfortunately, it did not happen.”

The superstar previously lost the Brazil 2014 World Cup, when Argentina fell to Germany in the final, and three Copa America finals while playing for his country’s team, including last year’s tournament, which Chile also won.

Messi was also asked if he would ever wear Argentina’s jersey again.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “I’ve thought about it. Like I said earlier, I tried everything possible to win. And that’s it. It’s four finals lost.”

Messi is not the only Argentine player whose tenure with the national team may be over, however.

Forward Sergio Aguero, who plays for Manchester City, said he and several of his international teammates could follow Messi’s lead and retire.

“The likelihood is that Messi is not the only one that will leave the national team,” Aguero, who lost his third final with Argentina, told Ole newspaper. “There are several players like me that are evaluating whether or not to continue.”

Aguero, 28, has played for Argentina’s senior side since September 2006, and replaced Gonzalo Higuain in the 70th minute of Sunday’s game. He empathized with Messi, a five-time World Player of the Year, and his frustration after the loss.

“Unfortunately, the one that leaves most affected is Leo Messi after his penalty miss,” the 28-year-old Aguero said. “This is the worst that I’ve seen him in the changing room.

“We are all affected and we will try to think about something else and move forward. Again, luck was not on our side.”

Argetina’s starting goalkeeper, Sergio Romero, said he hopes Messi will reconsider his decision. Argentina was seeking to end a 23-year senior trophy drought on Sunday.

Messi missed Argentina’s first penalty in Sunday’s final by shooting the ball over the crossbar. Arturo Vidal also missed the first penalty for Chile. Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Messi’s Barcelona teammate, then saved Lucas Biglia’s penalty to keep Chile up 3-2 before Francisco Silva netted the final game-winning penalty past Romero to give Chile their second straight Copa America title, following their championship won last year at home.

Bravo took the time to praise Messi after the game.

“In my opinion, he is the best player in the world and in history,” Bravo told Marca. “They have to enjoy him, value him and understand him.”

Both him and Messi served as their respective national team’s captain and after the game, Bravo went over to Argentina’s bench, where Messi sat and hid, to shake hands, hug, and exchange a few words with his dismayed Barcelona teammate.

Sunday’s final was full of injuries, dubious officiating and close scoring chances, though neither team was ultimately able to find the back of the net in 90 minutes of regulation or 30 minutes of extra time.

In the 21st minute, Chile defender Gary Medel let a pass slip by him, allowing Higuain to scamper into the close-at-hand Chile box while Bravo rushed out to attempt a save on the imminent shot. However, Higuain cut right and lifted his shot over the diving Bravo. All of MetLife Stadium watched and held their breath as Medel, who rapidly chased after Higuain and then the ball to correct his mistake, attempted to clear the ball, which bounced a few inches wide off the left post, and in the process crashed painfully into the post, throwing out his right arm at it to brace for the impact. Medel remained down for a few minutes, but was ultimately ok to continue playing.

Both teams ended up playing with ten men after each side had a player who was ejected. For Chile, it was Marcelo Diaz, who received a second yellow card and then immediately a red card for fouling Messi twice. Then in the 42nd, Argentina defender Marcos Rojo was ejected for a dirty slide tackle on Vidal. A brawl between the two teams appeared to simmer as the Chilean players angrily argued with Brazilian referee Heber Lopes over his questionable calls.

Romero had a key save in the 80th minute off a breakaway shot from Chile’s Eduardo Vargas. Argentine defender Javier Mascherano then kicked the rebound way off the field. Vargas also had a good header in extra time, in the 98th minute after a cross, but Romero was again there to make the stop for Argentina.

Bravo had his own stunning save in the 100th minute on a free kick from Messi shot from about 36 meters out. Aguero connected with a header on Messi’s cross, but Bravo leaped to bat out the high-aimed shot.

The US lost to Colombia 1-0 in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday to finish fourth in the tournament. Carlos Bacca scored Colombia’s lone goal by sliding in for a kick off a cross from Santiago Arias, which came after a lob to the right side of the goal by James Rodriguez. 

PHOTO: EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – JUNE 26: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina looks on against Chile during the Copa America Centenario Championship match at MetLife Stadium on June 26, 2016 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Chile defeated Argentina 4-2 in penalty kicks. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

After a more than two-hour delay caused by a storm in Chicago, Chile defeated Colombia 2-0 in the second Copa America Centenario semifinal at Soldier Field on Wednesday night.

Chile Beats Colombia 2-0 In Copa America Semifinal After Two-Hour Rain Delay

Chile, who thrashed Mexico 7-0 in their previous game, were missing two key midfielders on Wednesday, with Arturo Vidal suspended and Marcelo Diaz injured. AC Milan forward Carlos Bacca, meanwhile, was unfit to start for Colombia, but came off the bench for the final ten minutes.

Charles Aranguiz opened scoring for Chile in the seventh minute with a volley past Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina. Colombian midfielder Juan Cuadrado attempted to make a clearing header on Jose Fuenzalida’s cross, but it flew into the middle of the box instead, and Aranguiz netted the ball with a one-time kick from about six yards out to put Chile up 1-0 with his first goal of the tournament.

Aranguiz paused for a second or two before celebrating as he glanced back towards the assistant referee, but despite what he initially believed, he was well onside.

Chile then doubled their lead in the 11th minute with a goal from Fuenzalida, who collected the rebound of forward Alexis Sanchez’s shot that came off the left post. After Ospina dove for Sanchez’s shot, he was unable to recover to the middle and Fuenzalida tapped it into the nearly wide-open net to make it 2-0.

Ospina then made a key save four minutes later, after Sanchez dribbled past a defender inside Colombia’s penalty area and shot to the right side.

The Colombian keeper praised Sanchez, his Arsenal teammate, after the game.

“He’s not just a great player, he’s an excellent person,” Ospina said of the Chilean.  “He’s showing what he is made of [at the Copa America] with his movement, competitiveness and use of the ball. I’m happy for him.”

Midway through the first half, there seemed to be no hope for Colombia, with no major offensive plays except for a shot from Roger Martinez in the 23rd minute after James Rodriguez set him up with a pass. Chilean goalie Claudio Bravo, however, managed to save the ball. Bravo, who plays for Barcelona, momentarily went down six minutes before that after he collided awkwardly with Martinez.

Chile’s Pedro Pablo Hernandez then injured himself in the 25th minute after Carlos Sanchez and Daniel Torres sandwiched him in a collision. Hernandez tried to play on, but the pain seemed to be too big, and he hobbled off the field to be replaced by Erick Pugar in midfield.

In the 32nd minute, Colombian defender Santiago Arias, from an offside position, burst beyond the back line and drew a messy save from Bravo, who rushed out for the stop.

Then two minutes before halftime, Colombia’s Carlos Sanchez hit a dramatic dipping shot that seemed headed for the far bottom corner of the net until Bravo stuck out a hand.

The crowd at Soldier Field was far below capacity, the night after a 70,858 sell-out in Houston for Argentina’s 4-0 win over the US. There was almost no one in the stands during half time as fans retreated to the inside of the arena after the thunderstorm began to pick up.

Finally, at 10:25 pm local time, after several efforts from the ground crew to dry the sodden field, the second half started.

Just two minutes after the break, Colombia became aggravated after Chile’s Gonzalo Jara clearly fouled Daniel Torres in the penalty box, but Salvadoran referee Joel Aguilar waved play on.

Aguilar angered Colombia again in the 57th minute after he gave their own Sanchez a second yellow card after a slight foul on Aranguiz on the still-soaked field, thus dismissing the Colombian.

Chile themselves were denied an obvious penalty when Cristian Zapata hacked down Alexis with four minutes to go. Colombia, who was now playing with 10 men, was ultimately unable to find the back of the net in the final minutes.

A fan also ran onto the field in the second-to-last minute of the game, which ended around 11:15 pm local time.

Chile will now move on to play Argentina in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, while Colombia will face the US on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona to determine third place, in a rematch of the Cup’s opening game, which the US lost 2-0.

PHOTO: CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 22: Daniel Torres #16 of Colombia shoots on goal during a semi-final match against Chile in the 2016 Copa America Centernario at Soldier Field on June 22, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Yet again, Argentina has proved why their soccer team is ranked first in the world.

Lionel Messi Breaks Goals Record In Argentina’s 4-0 Victory Over US

The Argentines, led by Lionel Messi, routed the United States Men’s National Team 4-0 in the Copa America Cenenario semifinal in Houston on Tuesday night.

Messi set up the first goal, which came after a corner kick when the Barcelona forward sent a clever lob pass from the top of the box to Ezequiel Lavezzi, who headed the ball over goalkeeper Brad Guzan to give Argentina a 1-0 lead just three minutes in.

“After that early goal, I think our players could feel that, probably at every position on the field, they were just better than we are,” US coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.

Messi then scored the second goal himself on a free kick that was awarded after US forward Chris Wondolowski, who made his first start of the tournament on Tuesday, gave up the ball easily and then chased Messi only to knock the Argentinian to the grass with his hip. Wondolowski was given a yellow card, Messi took the free kick from about 25 yards out, and fired a left-footer past the wall of defenders and Guzan and into the far-right corner of the goal to give Argentina a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute.

The goal marked Messi’s fifth of the tournament and 55th international goal, the most of any player in Argentina’s history; he even surpassed Gabriel Batistuta, Batistuta scored 54 times in 78 appearances for Argentina between 1991 and 2002.

Messi, along with several other Argentines, stunned the US players by dribbling around the perimeter of their defense and probing for shots. He delivered precise passes and arguably scored one of the best goals of the tournament.

“He has an unbelievable left foot,” said US captain Michael Bradley. “Everybody in the world knows that. He was able to hook a great one in the upper corner.”

Then in the second half, 17-year-old Borussia Dortumund midfielder Christian Pulisic came on to replace Wondolowski, but the youngster was unable to help the US much. In the 50th minute, Augusto Fernandez sent a pass through to Gonzalo Higuain, who stayed just onside and then beat US defender John Brooks, shot a goal that Guzan blocked, and collected his own rebound to put the ball in the back of the net to put Argentina up 3-0.

Lavezzi then injured himself in the 63rd minute. The Argentine leaped to head a ball near the sideline but fell over backwards behind the electronic advertising board and appeared to hit the ground hard. His teammates and medical staff immediately rushed over, and even some US players called for help, and Lavezzi was wheeled out to the locker room. Erik Lamela came on to replace him in the 67th minute. Lavezzi had also previously collided with Guzan in the final minute of the first half.

The US made its final substitution in the 78th minute, when Darlington Nagbe came in for Clint Dempsey. However, this change also proved to be fruitless.

Argentina scored their final goal of the game off a carless turnover by the US in the 86th minute. Steve Birnbaum lost a pass from Bradley near the top-center of the box, and Messi intercepted the ball to record yet another assist. Messi crossed the ball from the left side of the box with a ground pass to Higuain. Birnbaum chased after to correct his mistake, but it was already too late. Higuain fired it past Guzan, who had rushed over from the left after tracking Messi.

Klinsmann lamented that his players appeared to show too much respect for Argentina’s talent.

“In general, we had too much respect,” Klinsmann said.

Bradley, however, respectfully disagreed with that statement.

“I respect his opinion,” Bradley said. “Please don’t make it out to be anything like that.”

Argentina will now advance to the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal, Chile-Colombia, which is set for Wednesday night in Chicago. The US will play the loser of Wednesday’s semifinal on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona to determine third place.

PHOTO: HOUSTON, TX – JUNE 21: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina passes through a group of defenders in the first half against the United States during a 2016 Copa America Centenario Semifinal match at NRG Stadium on June 21, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Chile came into this year’s Copa America Centenario feeling vastly overlooked.

Chile Eliminates Mexico From Copa America

Although it is the defending champion, it was not one of the four teams seeded into the tournament, and despite being ranked fifth in the world, all the attention seemed to be centered on Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, and Brazil, as well as the United Sates, the host country.

And yet, Chile re-asserted itself by crushing Mexico 7-0 on Sunday night before a shocked, heavily pro-Mexico crowd of 70,547 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

With the resounding victory, Chile now moves on to the Copa semifinals Wednesday in Chicago, where it will face Colombia, who defeated Peru in penalties at MetLife Stadium on Friday following a 0-0 draw.

Undefeated Argentina will play the U.S. in the other semifinal in Houston on Tuesday. Argentina defeated Venezuela 2-1 on Saturday.

Mexico, meanwhile, was humiliated in its elimination match after cruising to a national-record 22-game undefeated streak.

Eduardo Vargas, who topped last year’s tournament with four goals, earned four goals on Saturday alone this year, and now leads the Centenario with six. Chile also got two goals from Edson Puch, and one from Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. 

The massacre, the most one-sided loss in a competitive soccer match in Mexican history, was a surprise for ‘El Tri,’ which had not lost in 10 matches under new Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio, allowing just two goals since he took over.

Before the game even ended, the few Mexican fans who stayed until the end had directed the vulgar chant they generally use to insult opposing goalkeepers when they kick off towards their own goalie, Guillermo Ochoa. Ochoa, however, was not completely at fault, as the Mexican defense crumbled, losing two-on-ones on nearly every major attacking play made by the speedy, aggressive Chileans, who stunned Mexico with precise passes, well-executed crosses and perfectly-aimed shots on goal. The offense also struggled– often losing the ball before even nearing the goal and letting Chile run the length of the field — and managed only one shot on goal.

Orosio, who looked helpless on the sidelines– particularly in the five-goal second half–opened his post-game press conference by apologizing to the Mexican fans, calling the loss a ‘disgrace’ and an ’embarrassment.’

“Today was a disgrace, an accident of football,” he said in Spanish. “Obviously there have been bigger tragedies, but speaking athletically , today was a very poor presentation from us.

“I could not imagine that score, but it is my responsibility.”

The Mexican players also acknowledged their dreadful performance. Every player paused to speak with the media as they walked to the bus, and some even took to social media to apologize.

“I can only offer an apology,” defender Miguel Layun said.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez tweeted: “Apologies to all Mexicans. We failed them. We are very embarrassed, sad and hurting.”

Osorio also took the time to praise the opponent, saying:

“Chile is a very powerful, very good and with every chance of winning the tournament,” he said.

Chilean Coach Juan Antonio Pizzi agreed.

“This group of players is already writing Chilean football’s brightest page. Hopefully we can add more to the history,” Pizzi said. “It never entered my mind [there would be] a goal difference so great, because it is unusual, it is not logical.

Puch opened scoring in the 16th minute, collecting the rebound of Marcelo Diaz’s long-range shot and firing it past Ochoa to give Chile a 1-0 lead.

Vargas then doubled the lead a minute before the break. As with the first goal, the passing and ball-handling in the build-up was impressive. Sanchez slipped a pass toward the penalty spot for Vargas, who stepped away from three immobile Mexican defenders and drilled a left-footer just inside the far post to put Chile up 2-0 at halftime.

Chile, however, was simply getting warmed up. In the 49th minute, Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal stole the ball from Mexico’s Hector Herrera deep in the offensive end, drawing Ochoa off his line, then passed the ball to a wide-open Sanchez, who fired it in as the Mexican defenders still struggled to catch up with him.

Next came Vargas, who scored the following two goals in the 52nd and 58th. The 26-year-old TSG 1899 Hoffenheim striker took a thorough ball that eluded three defenders and raced deep into the penalty box before kicking the ball around Ochoa. He then earned his third goal six minutes later off a rebound to give Chile a 5-0 lead. 

Vargas scored his fourth and final goal of the game– his 31st international goal– in the 74th minute, by which time a large majority of the Mexican fans at Levi’s– many of whom had begun throwing popcorn and other things at Ochoa’s goal– had already left. After Puch scored his second goal in the 88th minute, Brazilian referee Heber Lopes waited for the last seconds to blow the final whistle, wisely waiving stoppage time given the thrashing.

SANTA CLARA, CA – JUNE 18: Jesus Duenas #20 of Mexico battles for control of the ball with Alexis Sanchez #7 of Chile during the 2016 Copa America Centenario Quarterfinals match play between Mexico and Chile at Levi’s Stadium on June 18, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Clint Dempsey scored for the third consecutive game and set up Gyasi Zardes for a tap-in goal to lead the United States to a 2-1 victory over Ecuador in Seattle on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Copa America.

USA Beats Ecuador 2-1 To Advance To Copa America Semifinals For First Time Since 1995

The US is now in the semifinals for the first time in 21 years. The only other US appearance in the Copa semifinals came in 1995, when it advanced to the final four by defeating Mexico, but was then eliminated by Brazil.

“Clint is special,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of Dempsey. “He showed that tonight. He showed that the last couple of weeks. He showed that throughout his entire career.”

The team played before a loud and US fan-dominated crowd of 47,322 at CenturyLink Field. The game marked the second time the US won a knockout match against a country outside its region, the first time being against Spain in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2009. It will play either Argentina or Venezuela in Houston on Tuesday.

Dempsey scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute. After picking up the ball in the center of the offensive half, played Bobby Wood into the Ecuador box before being taken down by a tackle. Wood ran the ball down, faced up his defender and played a pass to Jermaine Jones at the top right corner of the box, where the midfielder one-timed a lofted ball into the middle of Ecuador’s defense. Dempsey made a late run into the box and leapt between two defenders to head the ball past goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez and into the right side of the net for a 1-0 US lead.

The 33-year-old Seattle Sounders forward, whose place on the US team was debated earlier this year, said he was blessed as he scored a goal in the city he knows all too well.

“I’ve been blessed that I was able to step up and, hopefully, I can keep going,” said Dempsey, who scored his 52nd international goal, just five behind Landon Donovan’s American record. “I thought we played well. I thought we created some good chances in front of goal. We were unlucky not to score more.”

Zardes doubled the US’s lead in the 65th minute. Matt Besler crossed to the back post, looking for Zardes. A deflected header fell to Dempsey, who beat his man and sent the ball across the face of goal to where Zardes was unmarked to easily tap in the goal.

Michael Arroyo scored for Ecuador in the 74th minute. Ecuador won a free kick near the right US. corner flag. Walter Ayovi played the ball on the ground to the top center of the U.S. box where Arroyo met it with a low, one-time shot through the US defense and into the bottom right corner of Brad Guzan’s goal.

Enner Valencia then missed a pair of great chances for Ecuador on two headers in the 76th and 77th minutes. Defenseman John Brooks nearly had an own goal in the first minute of stoppage time, only to see the ball deflected wide by Guzan.

“At that point, every guy needed everything they had on the field, ready to do whatever it takes and just play with a collective willingness to suffer and just make sure we’re walking off the field winners,” said U.S. captain Michael Bradley, who wore a rainbow armband in honor of those killed in the gay nightclub shooting in Orlando last weekend. “That’s certainly what pulled us through.”

The second half was a chippy one: Jones was given a red card during a confrontation in the 52nd minute that also saw Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia thrown out following a second yellow card for a harsh tackle on Alejandro Bedoya along the sideline.

U.S. players immediately rushed in to the scrum after Valencia’s tackle, and Jones raised an arm at Arroyo. Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan immediately showed a red card to Jones.

Klinsmann was furious at the red card, blaming the decision on fourth official Wilton Sampaio on the sideline.

“It was an absolute joke,” the US coach said.

Jones will be suspended for the semifinal along with Bedoya and Wood, both of whom received their second yellow cards of the tournament.

Ecuador coach Gustavo Quinteros also appeared to be sent off in the 90th minute for vehemently protesting the officiating.

Dominguez made a big save on a low shot from the box from Bedoya in the 41st minute, and Guzan also had a big stop on a shot from Arroyo in the additional stoppage-time minute of the first half.

Argentina and Venezuela will play on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, so the U.S. will now have two extra days of rest.

PHOTO: SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 16: Clint Dempsey #8 of the United States follows the play against against Ecuador during the 2016 Quarterfinal – Copa America Centenario match at CenturyLink Field on June 16, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Argentine forward Lionel Messi played 45 minutes of his team’s 3-0 victory over Bolivia in the group stage finale of the Copa America Centenario on Tuesday night.

Lionel Messi Feels ‘Pain-Free,’ Prepared To Play For Argentina

Before he even came on to start the second half, however, the crowd of 45,753 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle spontaneously chanted “Mess-i, Mess-i!” several times in the first half.

Messi, who is recovering from a back injury, missed Argentina’s opener against Chile. The Barcelona striker, who will turn 29 on June 24, was unable to score on Tuesday, but demonstrated his trademark skill on the ball, looking like a player who could have played all 90 minutes if he hadn’t been injured.

“I felt good. I felt good,” Messi said on Tuesday. “No pain, right now I don’t feel anything. I felt good from a fitness standpoint too, so it was good appearance.”

The game was a more-than-comfortable win for Argentina, as Erik Lamela and Ezequiel Lavezzi scored goals two minutes apart in the first 15 minutes. In the 13th minute, Lamela’s 25-yard free kick deflected off the back of Yasmani Duk, who had leaped and turned in the defensive wall. The shot completely stunned goalkeeper Carlos Lampe. The kick came after Lavezzi maneuvered past three defenders and got taken down.

Two minutes later, Facundo Roncaglia crossed from the right side. Lampe saved Gonzalo Higuain’s header but Lavezzi took the rebound and easily kicked the ball in to give Argentina a 2-0 lead.

Then in the 32nd minute, Lavezzi collected a deflection on the right side of the penalty box and crossed into the area, where defenseman Victor Cuesta netted the ball to record his first international goal.

Messi replaced Higuain after the break, although Argentina’s victory appeared to be nearly secured by then.

“People pay all over the world to see him. He has to deal with that,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino said of Messi through an interpreter. “Sometimes he has to play, sometimes he is on the bench. He has that obligation to fulfill for the fans who are paying to be there for him. He lives with that.”

Apart from Messi’s omission from the starting lineup, Angel Di Maria was ruled out with an adductor (thigh) injury. Even if he had been healthy, Di Maria still probably would not have played because he was carrying a yellow card. A second warning would have resulted in suspension from the quarterfinal. Javier Mascherano, Augusto Fernandez, Marcos Rojo and Nicolas Gaitan were all held out for the same reason.

The Bolivians, who had been eliminated after their first two games, struggled against South America’s powerhouse. Argentina dominated overall possession percentage 82-18, and completed 757 passes at a 94 percent success rate. Bolivia put together 61 passes.

Aside from the lopsided control, Martino liked what his team did with the ball.

“The ball circulated faster,” he said. “We were patient, but with this patience, we were not slow. The ball was moving all over the place and we were playing with 11 players. I can see this team is making progress.”

Messi is expected to return to the starting lineup when Argentina faces Venezuela in the quarterfinals at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Saturday.

“Every time we get better, and as I said the other day, we’ll get better the further we advance,” Messi said. “Now we face a complicated rival, that is there deservingly, that went through a very tough group and almost finished first.

Chile is other member of Argentina’s Group D to advance to the quarterfinals, after defeating Panama 4-2 on Tuesday night. Chile will next face Mexico at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night.

PHOTO: SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 14: Lionel Messi #10 of Argentina dribbles against Bolivia during the 2016 Copa America Centenario Group D match at CenturyLink Field on June 14, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

J.J. Watt surprised the Mexican National Soccer Team by visiting them during a training session in Houston on Sunday night ahead of their Copa America Centenario game against Venezuela at the Texans’ NRG Stadium.

Texans DE JJ Watt Surprises Mexican National Team Ahead Of Copa America Game In Houston

One player who particularly seemed to be completely in awe and elated with the appearance of the Texans defensive end was forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. The 28-year-old Bayer Leverkusen striker couldn’t help but gape in shock as Watt, 27, approached the Mexican National Team, “El Tri.”

Chicharito also promised Watt his game jersey from Mexico’s Group C finale game and thanked the star NFL defenseman multiple times for his signature. Watt also wrote “Chicharito” on his own #99 jersey, which he in return gave to the Mexican player, who helped him spell his nickname, which means “little pea” in Spanish.

Hernandez, who formerly played for Manchester United and Real Madrid, then tweeted the following photo of him and Watt, captioning it in both English and Spanish: “A dream come true… Thank you @JJWatt!!”

The whole team, even head coach Juan Carlos Osorio, took photos with Watt.

Mexico tied Venezuela 1-1 in both teams’ final first-round match on Monday night, and Mexico finished at the top of Group C. Both teams will advance to the quarterfinals, with Mexico facing the winner of Chile vs Panama, while Venezuela will face the loser. Uruguay also defeated Jamaica 3-0 on Monday, although both Group C teams are now eliminated from the Cup.

PHOTO: HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 09: J.J. Watt #99 of the Houston Texans warms up before playing against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game at NRG Stadium on January 9, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Brazil lost to Peru 1-0 in their third Copa America Centenario game on Sunday to be eliminated from the tournament in the group stage for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Brazil Eliminated From Copa America After 1-0 Loss To Peru And Possible Illegal Goal

Nevertheless, the five-time World Cup champions complained that Raul Ruidiaz’s 75th-minute goal at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts went in off his hand after being deflected from a cross.

“It was such a clear handball,” said Brazil coach Dunga, who led the team to a World Cup as captain. However, Dunga also added that he is not worried about his job following Brazil’s elimination, the country’s first from the group stage of Copa America since 1987.

“I am only afraid of death,” he said. Dunga, who took charge after the 2014 World Cup, is set to lead his country at the Olympics in Rio in August.

Brazil’s players angrily protested to Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha, but he remained firm in his decision after consulting with the fourth official. Some began calling the play” Hand of God II” — a nod to Diego Maradona, the legendary Argentine player who helped his team beat England with a controversial goal in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico that was dubbed “mano de Dios,” or hand of God. Brazil needed only a tie to advance. Instant replays from certain angles clearly showed Ruidiaz tapping the ball in with his hand before it hit his thigh and went in the goal.

“I’m happy with the step we’ve taken,” Ruidiaz said in an on-field interview afterwards. “The goal came from a very rapid play, then it hit my thigh and I don’t understand why there’s so much controversy. Thank God, the referee confirmed the goal.”

Peru, who had not defeated Brazil since 1985, will now advance to the quarter-finals along with fellow Group D member Ecuador, who knocked out Haiti with a 4-0 victory on Sunday.

Peru will next face Colombia on Friday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, while Ecuador will play the United States at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Washington on Thursday.

The US defeated Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia thanks to a goal from forward Clint Dempsey in the 27th minute. Gyasi Zardes took on two Paraguay defenders and worked his way to the end line inside the Paraguay box before centering the ball on the ground. Dempsey ran to the penalty spot and met Zardes’ cross to fire a one-time left footer beneath a defender and diving Paraguay goalkeeper Justo Villar to score the lone goal.

FOXBORO, MA – JUNE 12: Raul Ruidiaz #11 of Peru scores despite the defense of Daniel Alves #2 of Brazil and Alisson Becker #1 in the second half during the 2016 Copa America Centenario Group B match against Brazil at Gillette Stadium on June 12, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Uruguay was eliminated from the Copa America Centenario following their 1-0 loss against Venezuela at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Thursday night, although this was not the only embarrassment suffered by the 15-time champions.

Luis Suarez Punches Dugout After Not Playing In 1-0 Loss To Venezuela

Forward Luis Suarez, who missed Uruguay’s first game of the competition– a 3-1 defeat to Mexico– due to injury, was told by coach Oscar Tabarez he would not be playing on Thursday either, which led Suarez to lose his temper, throw one of his cleats onto the field, and punch the dugout in frustration.

Suarez, 29, had been warming up on the sidelines in the second half despite not being named as a starter or substitute.

“There is no situation. The situation is what I told you [on Wednesday]. The player is not ready to play,” said a defiant Tabarez of the Barcelona forward. “This is an issue about numbers and doctors. Even if the player is upset, I’m not going to play a player who is not 100 per cent. If he got upset, that is something I was not aware of. He didn’t tell me anything.”

Suarez injured his hamstring in Barcelona’s Copa del Rey final victory over Sevilla in May.

Salomon Rondon, a striker for West Bromwich Albion scored the lone goal for Venezuela in the 36th minute after a shot from midfield by Alejandro Guerra was barely deflected by Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and hit the crossbar.

Venezuela and Mexico will now be the two teams of Group C who advance to the quarterfinals after both securing two wins in the first round. Mexico defeated Jamaica 2-0 in Pasadena, California on Thursday. Jamaica also lost to Venezuela 1-0 on Sunday.

Mexico’s victory was their 10th in succession since Juan Carlos Osorio took over as coach last year, with Bayer Leverkusen forward Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez heading the opening goal.

Mexico and Venezuela will face off in Houston, Texas on Monday night.

PHOTO: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL – JUNE 19: Luis Suarez of Uruguay celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group D match between Uruguay and England at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 19, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)