It's the Lionel Messi show tonight, and although he doesn't have any goals he could quite easily have five or six assists. He's absolutely running the game from the midfield, slicing Costa Rica open at will, and the only reason Argentina aren't ahead by a silly number of goals is that Gonzalo Higuain's finishing ability appears to have gone the way of the dodo. It was Messi, of course, who slipped the Real Madrid forward in with the hosts 2-0 up in the second half, only for Higuain to blaze over Leonel Moreira's crossbar. Fortunately for Argentina, the Barcelona star would pick a better target with his next pass.
Copa America 2011, Argentina Vs. Costa Rica: Angel Di Maria Nets, Makes It 3-0 Argentina
Angel di Maria had been a relatively peripheral figure in a game dominated by Sergio Aguero, Messi, and Higuain, but he controlled a pass from Messi brilliantly, his first touch taking him past a pair of Costa Rica defenders and setting him up for a shot. The angle wasn't particularly promising, but he swung his left boot and unleashed a howitzer that screamed past Moreira at his near post, giving Argentina a 3-0 lead. It was Messi's second assist of the match. Think there'll be any complaints about how the world's best player doesn't turn up in international matches anymore?
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