Argentina beat Ecuador on penalties to make the 2024 Copa America semifinals
Lionel Messi missed his shot as he tried a Panenka but Emiliano Martinez stepped up to send Argentina to the 2024 Copa America semifinals after a dramatic penalty shootout against Ecuador.
Argentina are through to the 2024 Copa America semifinals! Even though Lionel Messi missed the first shot of the series, La Albiceleste managed to top Ecuador on penalties thanks to Emiliano Martinez to keep their title defense alive.
It was a hard-fought game at NRG Stadium, with the reigning champions leading for much of the game thanks to Lisandro Martinez’s first-half goal. But a late equalizer by Kevin Rodriguez added some drama to the night in Houston.
Dibu Martinez stole the show in the shootout by making two crucial saves, with the rest of Argentina‘s penalty takers scoring their shots for a 4-2 victory. Now, the defending champions will take on Canada or Venezuela on July 9 in New Jersey.
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Argentina advance to Copa America semis!
Argentina have punched the ticket to the 2024 Copa America semifinals with a dramatic penalty shootout win over Ecuador in Houston, and you lived every moment with us, here, on Bolavip.
Their next game will be against Canada or Venezuela on July 9 at MetLife Stadium.
OTAMENDI SCORES!
Argentina win the series 4-2!
MONTIEL SCORES
Argentina have match point as Gonzalo Montiel makes it 3-1.
CAICEDO SCORES
Jordy Caicedo scores.
Argentina 3-2 Ecuador.
YEBOAH SCORES
Now it's Argentina 2-1 Ecuador.
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ALEXIS SCORES
Mac Alister scores.
Argentina 2-0 Ecuador.
DIBU SAVES AGAIN!
Martinez blocks the second shot and goes 2/2!
Argentina 2-0 Ecuador.
DIBU SAVES!
Dibu Martinez blocks Mina's shot!
JULIAN SCORES!
Julian Alvarez scores. Now Argentina are 2-0.
MESSI MISSES
Messi chips the ball and it hits the post.
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FULL TIME: PENALTIES IN HOUSTON! (1-1)
Argentina and Ecuador finish level after regular time, so the winner will be decided on penalties!
VAR confirms the goal
After VAR review, the goal stands. It looks like Argentina and Ecuador are going to penalties.
90+1' - ECUADOR SCORE! (1-1)
A dramatic equalizer from Kevin Rodriguez in stoppage time!
Ecuador came back from the dressing room with an aggressive mindset.
45' - SECOND HALF UNDERWAY! (1-0)
Argentina are leading 1-0 in Houston.
HALFTIME (1-0)
Thanks to Lisandro Martinez's goal, Argentina are leading Ecuador 1-0 at the break.
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Reminder: Who will Argentina play next?
In the event Argentina win tonight, they will play Canada or Venezuela in the semifinals.
Tonight's winner will punch a ticket to the 2024 Copa America semi that will be held on Tuesday, July 9, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
40' - Argentina taking control (1-0)
The opener allows Argentina to play with more confidence, while Ecuador have yet to recover from the blow that means conceding first.
35' - ARGENTINA SCORE (1-0)
Lisandro Martinez gives Argentina the lead with a header!
Dominguez seemed to clear the ball, but it had already crossed the goal line.
Messi clearly deserves credit for this goal as his cross was perfect.
Extra time will only come into play, if necessary, in the grand final. The 2024 Copa America decider will be held on Sunday, July 14, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Who will Argentina or Ecuador play in the semifinals?
The winner of this match will set up a meeting against Canada or Venezuela in the 2024 Copa America semifinals on Tuesday, July 9, at 8:00 PM (ET) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Canada and Venezuela clash in the quarterfinals on Friday, July 5, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington,
Both teams warming up
Both Argentina and Ecuador are already performing warm up drills at the NRG Stadium as they get ready for this huge 2024 Copa America quarterfinal.
Kick-off in almost 30 minutes!
How do Argentina and Ecuador arrive in this game?
The defending champions have made it to the 2024 Copa America quarterfinals as Group A leaders, winning all three group stage games.
Ecuador, on the other hand, arrive in this stage with plenty of questions to answer. Felix Sanchez Bas' men lacked consistency in Group B, where they only finished second due to goal difference.
After losing to Venezuela 2-1 in their debut, La Tri defeated Jamaica 3-1 before a goalless draw against Mexico to secure the second spot and therefore a ticket to this quarterfinal.
Argentina vs Ecuador: Head-to-head
This will be the 41st meeting between these teams. Argentina gain the upper hand in the all-time series against Ecuador with 24 wins, 11 draws and five losses.
La Albiceleste is riding on a seven-game winless streak against La Tri, with six wins and one draw.
Shortly after Lionel Scaloni's team was leaked, Ecuador confirmed the lineup to play Argentina in Houston.
Here's La Tri's starting eleven: Alexander Domínguez; Angelo Preciado, Felix Torres, Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapié; Carlos Grueso, Moises Caicedo, Alan Franco, Jeremy Sarmiento, Kendry Paez; Enner Valencia.
Tonight's stage
The NRG Stadium will host tonight's match between Argentina and Ecuador.
This venue, which opened in 2002 and is home to the Houston Texans of the NFL, boasts a 72,200 capacity.
It has already hosted two Copa America matches this year (Mexico 1-0 Jamaica and Colombia 2-1 Paraguay), but it's preparing for an even bigger event.
The NRG Stadium will be one of the 2026 World Cup venues, hosting five group stage matches and two knockout phase fixtures (round of 32 and round of 16).
A general view inside the stadium prior to the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024 Group D match between Colombia and Paraguay at NRG Stadium on June 24, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Tonight's referee
The entire refereeing team for tonight's 2024 Copa America quarterfinal between Argentina and Ecuador will be Uruguayan, with ref Andrés Matonte joined by fellow countrymen Nicolás Tarán and Martín Soppi as his assistants.
Leodán Gonzalez will be in charge of VAR, joined by Richard Trinidad and Christian Ferreyra.
Fortunately, the Inter Miami star will not only suit up, but Messi is also expected to start for La Albiceleste. According to Argentine national team insider Gaston Edul of TyC Sports, Leo will play from the get-go,
Argentina's starting eleven vs Ecuador: Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico; Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Nicolas Gonzalez; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez.
Kick-off time and how to watch
The first game of the 2024 Copa America quarterfinals will kick off at 9:00 PM (ET).
Argentina and Ecuador clash in 2024 Copa America quarterfinals
Welcome to our live blog of Argentina - Ecuador!
The 2024 Copa America quarterfinals get underway in Houston today, with Lionel Messi and company battling it out against La Tri for a place in the final four.
Here, you can follow the game live. From now on, we'll bring you everything you need to know about this game, so stay with us!
Martin O'Donnell is a bilingual sports writer fluent in English and Spanish, with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. Since joining Bolavip in February 2021, he has extensively covered soccer, NFL, and NBA, specializing in real-time coverage of major events such as the World Cup, UEFA Champions League finals, and the Super Bowl. Martin’s prior experience includes managing social media for the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana in English and reporting on Brazilian football for Sambafoot. At Bolavip, he is known for his meticulous coverage during critical sports seasons—covering trades, playoffs, and finals—and for keeping a close eye on soccer icons Lionel Messi at Inter Miami and Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. His attention to detail and ability to capture breaking news have made him a valuable asset to the team.
