Alexis Mac Allister had an eventful evening as Argentina clinched their spot in the Copa America semi-finals.
Alexis Mac Allister had an eventful evening as Argentina clinched their spot in the Copa America semi-finals.
He played the full 90 minutes, provided an assist, and scored during the penalty shootout.
Back in the starting lineup after being rested in the previous match, Mac Allister helped his team face Ecuador in a tense quarter-final clash in Houston, Texas. Liverpool’s No. 10 is one of four Reds players who reached the final eight of the tournament, and he became the first to advance to the semi-finals following this hard-fought victory.
Mac Allister’s assist came in the 35th minute, when he expertly flicked a corner kick to the back post, where it was converted by Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez for the game’s opening goal. Although Argentina were the favorites, Ecuador kept the match competitive. They missed a penalty on the hour mark but managed to equalize dramatically in the 91st minute.
In the penalty shootout, Mac Allister was the third Argentine player to step up. At that point, Argentina was leading 1-0 after Lionel Messi missed the first spot-kick. Demonstrating calm under pressure, Mac Allister confidently sent the goalkeeper the wrong way and placed his shot into the bottom right corner, contributing to Argentina’s 4-2 shootout victory.
Emi Martinez, who saved two penalties, received the highest rating from Argentine outlet TyC Sports, but Mac Allister was not far behind with a seven-out-of-ten rating. They commended him for his composure during Argentina’s difficult moments, noting that he “stood up and contained the turbulence” and “had the character to control the ball and make smart decisions.”
Mac Allister has been crucial to Argentina’s success in the tournament so far and is expected to play a key role again when they face either Canada or Venezuela in the semi-final on July 10. His advancement to this stage of the competition means he will not begin his holidays until July 14 or 15, given the Copa America includes a third-place playoff.
Meanwhile, other Liverpool players are still competing in the tournament. Alisson and Darwin Nunez will vie for another semi-final spot on July 7 as Brazil takes on Uruguay, while Luis Diaz’s Colombia is set to face Panama on Saturday.
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