Argentina vs Ecuador highlights, ARG 1-1 ECU, Copa America 2024: Albiceleste win penalty shootout (4-2) to qualify for semis

Argentina has survived yet another penalty shootout as it beats Ecuador 4-2 on penalties to book its place in the Copa America 2024 semifinals. It was not a good start for the Albiceleste after Messi missed their opening spot-kick but Emiliano Martinez turned up for yet another shootout to help his team reach the semifinals. 

ARG 4-2 ECU: Nicolas Otamendi had to score to guarantee the win and he keeps his calm to find the net. ARGENTINA WINS THE SHOOOUT AND REACHES THE SEMIS!

ARG 3-2 ECU: Jordy Caicedo had to score to keep Ecuador in the shootout and he did by blasting the ball down the middle. 

ARG 3-1 ECU: Montiel finds the net to maintain Argentina’s lead in the shootout. 

ARG 2-1 ECU: John Yeboah converts his penalty to get Ecuador underway. 

ARG 2-0 ECU: Alexis Mac Allister slots the ball in the right side-netting to Argentina a 2-0 lead in the shootout. 

ARG 1-0 ECU: Ecuador fails to score its second penalty. Alan Minda’s shot is saved by Martinez 

ARG 1-0 ECU: Alvarez gets Argentina underway after burying the penalty in the top-right corner. 

ARG 0-0 ECU: Ecuador also fails to convert its first penalty as Martinez saves Mena’s shot.

ARG 0-0 ECU: Lionel Messi misses his penalty. His shot clips the bar. Huge moment in the shootout. 

Kevin Rodriguez’s late equaliser forces the match to a penalty-shootout. It is 1-1 at the end of regulation time. 

Rodriguez sends in a cross from the left and Jordy Caicedo flashes a header towards goal. However, he cannot keep his effort on target. Nervy moments for the Argentina backline here. 

Argentina sub: IN- Montiel OUT- Molina

After a long check, the goal is given and there is a huge cheer from the Ecuador fans inside the stadium. 

There is a lengthy VAR check but there was nothing to suggest from the replay that the goal would not stand. 

Ecuador takes a quick freekick. Yeboah sends in an excellent cross inside the box and Rodriguez gets the slightest of touches to head the ball inside the net. 

Argentina concedes its first goal of Copa America 2024. 

Five minutes added at the end of the second-half!

A stumble at the back allows Jordy Caicedo to get the ball and make a run inside the Argentina box. He goes for a shot from a tight angle but only manages to find the side-netting. 

Emi Martinez tries to find Julian Alvarez but his goalkick goes above everyone and goes straight to Ecuador keeper Dominguez. 

Ecuador sub: IN- Jordy Caicedo OUT- Franco 

Alan Minda steps up to take the freekick but hits it straight against the wall. Argentina tries to counter from Ecuador’s failed freekick but the referee stops the match so that Romero can get medical attention. 

Argentina booking: Tagliafico sees a yellow card for that foul on Yeboah 

Yeboah is brought down by Tagliafico and Ecuador has a freekick in a dangerous position. 

Ecuador subs: IN- Yeboah, Mena OUT- Cruezo, Valencia

Caicedo’s pass sends Rodriguez on a run inside the box but he is shielded well by the Argentine backline and Martinez comes out to collect the ball. 

Argentina subs: IN- Otamendi, Lo Celso OUT- Lisandro, Enzo 

Argentina booking: Nico Gonzalez becomes the latest player to see a yellow card for his challenge on Preciado. 

Ecuador subs: IN- Minda, Rodriguez OUT- Paez, Sarmiento

Ecuador booking: Caicedo sees a yellow card. He caught De Paul late but sees the card for dissent. This means that if Ecuador reach the semifinals, Caicedo will not play a part in that match. 

Messi’s delivery into the box from an Argentina freekick is dealt with and Ecuador is on the counter, with Valencia leading the charge. However, the intensity of the counter reduces after Valencia holds on to the ball for too long and is forced out wide. There was another chance for the Ecuador captain as he got the ball inside the Argentina but Lisandro swiftly clears the ball. 

Molina and Hincapie both go for the ball and the former slides in to make the challenge. He gets the ball but also gets a chunk of the Ecuador player. The referee does not give a foul but Hincapie is in pain. 

Argentina has surely used up all its luck in this match. A one-goal lead is always dangerous and the Albiceleste were moments away from realizing that. 

Argentina sub: IN- Alvarez OUT- Lautaro Martinez

A brief moment of hope for Ecuador as VAR checked whether both of Martinez’s feet were on the line when Valencia took the penalty but the hope was short-lived as there would be no retake of the penalty. Instead, an offside is given for Ecuador’s play after the rebounds

MISS - Enner Valencia steps up to take the penalty and hits the post with his effort. He sends Martinez the wrong way but his spot-kick lacked power and hit the post and bounced back into play. 

Penalty for Ecuador - The referee points to the spot as the ball had struck De Paul’s hand as he went to clear the ball from an Ecuador corner. VAR is checking it, however. 

Caicedo tries to find Sarmiento inside the box with a lobbed ball but Lisandro Martinez makes a timely clearance with his head. 

Ecuador gets two successive corners but fails to make anything happen. There was a brief VAR check between the two corners to check whether the ball had struck De Paul’s hand but there was nothing to suggest a penalty. 

Lautaro Martinez shows good control to chest the ball down inside the Ecuador box. He then shoots on the turn, but the shot is weak and off target. 

Both Romero and Caicedo are ready to come back on. 

Finally, Caicedo is back up on his feet, which is good news for Ecuador. 

It is a lengthy halt as Romero and Caicedo receive medical attention. Caicedo seems to have come off worse from that coming together as he is still on the ground. Romero looks to be up. 

Caicedo and Romero come together but the referee does not the whistle for that. He does blow it for an Ecuador foul seconds later for a foul on Messi, as Argentina looked to start a counter-attack. 

It has been a stop-start second-half till now, with plenty of fouls committed in the middle of the park. The tempo should set in as the half progresses. 

Ecuador looks to attack right from the starting whistle with a long ball towards the Argentina box. But Preciado fails to keep the ball in play. 

Argentina leads 1-0 against Ecuador in the Copa America 2024 quarterfinal clash as the second-half gets underway at the NRG Stadium. 

Lisandro Martinez’s goal keeps Argentina in a 1-0 lead against Ecuador in the Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match at the NRG Stadium in Houston Texas. 

Mac Allister stays down after a challenge from Caicedo, but he is not penalized. The former should be okay to continue. 

Two minutes added at the end of the first-half!

Valencia catches De Paul late and the latter has felt the full force of the challenge. The referee does not give a foul, however. It is to be noted that Valencia is already on a yellow card. 

Enzo Fernandez gets another chance at goal. This time, the Argentine floods the Ecuador box and the ball falls to Enzo at the far-post. He puts his laces through it and aims for the far-corner but fails to keep the effort on target. 

The defending champion gets the breakthrough. The goal comes from Messi’s corner as the ball is flicked towards the far-post by Mac Allister. Lisandro Martinez is there to head the ball in. Dominguez punches the ball away but the ball had crossed the whole of the line before the Ecuadorian keeper did so. 

It is Martinez’s first goal in national colours and couldn’t have come at a better time. 

Copa America 2024: Lisandro Martinez scores first goal for Argentina in quarterfinal against Ecuador

Defender Lisandro Martinez on Thursday scored his first goal for Argentina during the Copa America 2024 quarterfinal against Ecuador.

Argentina with its first major attack of the match. Enzo Fernandez leads a counter-attack and makes his way inside the box. He shoots at goal but Pacho gets in the way to make the block.

It has been a frustrating match for Lionel Messi so far. Returning from injury, the Argentina captain is yet to have a proper impact on the game. 

Ecuador booking: Enner Valencia sees a yellow card for his late challenge on Alexis Mac Allister. However, his card will be wiped out if Ecuador reaches the semifinals. 

Enner Valencia has taken an awkward fall and seems to have hurt his ankle. He takes his time to get up and resume play but looks okay to continue as of now. 

Molina sends a floating cross inside the box from the right flank, which is met by a header from Enzo Fernandez, However, the effort does not trouble Dominguez, who watches the ball roll out of play. 

Argentina has had 64% of the ball till now but all of the major chances in the match have fallen to Ecuador till now. Scaloni’s men are yet to find their footing in the game. Right now, Ecuador look the likelier team to score. 

Messi finds Gonzalez on the left with a dipping cross and the latter tries to drive in a low cross across the face of the goal. However, his cross is blocked as another Argentina attack comes to an end. 

Lautaro Martinez gets the ball in front of the Ecuador box and tries to make something happen but he is outmuscled. Eventually, the assistant blows his whistle for offside. 

Torres finds Valencia with an excellent through-ball. Valencia sends the ball inside the box with a low and driving cross. Preciado arrives at the near-post and tries to guide the ball into the net with a first-time effort but cannot keep his shot on target. 

Ecuador is knocking on the door here. First Sarmiento’s shot is saved well by Martinez but the danger is not yet over as the loose ball falls to Paez. He goes for a first-time shot but fails to keep it on target. 

Ecuador’s defence has responded well to all of Argentina’s attacking moves till now. Scaloni’s men are looking to pierce the Ecuadorians with some snappy one-touch football but the rhythm has not yet set in for the Albiceleste. 

Enzo Fernandez is under pressure and fails to clear the ball in time. Hincapie does well to force a corner. 

Despite all the possession, Ecuador has had the best chance of the match till now, which fell to Caicedo. 

Talk about the blogger’s curse here, Moises Caicedo makes a penetrative run inside the final third and takes a low shot from inside the Argentina box. The shot, however, is straight at Martinez, who makes the save and holds on to the ball. 

Ecuador has not been able to enjoy too much of the ball in their final third in the opening five minutes. The Argentine defence has been compact. 

Lautaro Martinez almost gets to a through ball from Enzo Fernandez but the Ecuador backline gets the ball away to safety in the nick of time. 

Argentina is enjoying plenty of the ball in the opening minute. The Ecuador players are not going for the press as of now. No team enjoyed more possession throughout the group stages than Argentina with 66% of the ball on average. 

The Copa America 2024 quarterfinal between Argentina and Ecuador is underway at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. 

Argentina starting XI (4-4-2): E. Martinez (GK); Molina, Romero, Tagliafico, Tagliafico; De Paul, Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Gonzalez; Messi, L. Martinez 

Ecuador starting XI (4-3-2-1): Dominguez(GK); Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapie; Guezo, Franco, Caicedo; Paez, Sarmiento; Valencia

Defending champion Argentina will clash against Ecuador in the first quarterfinal of Copa America 2024 at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Thursday (Friday in IST).

Argentina finished at the top of Group A, winning all three matches against Canada, Chile and Peru, respectively. Ecuador finished as Group B runner-up, finishing below Venezuela. 

La Albiceleste missed the services of Lionel Messi in their final group match against Peru after the Argentina captain suffered a minor injury, which he said wasn’t serious. However, Messi is set to return for the quarter-finals after returning to training.

Read full preview HERE

When and where will the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match kick off?

The Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match will kick off on Friday, July 5 (6:30 AM IST) at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. 

Where to watch the live telecast of the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match?

There is no official confirmation about on which Network the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match will be live telecasted in India, however, you can follow the LIVE updates on Sportstar website and app. 

Where to live stream the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match?

There is no official confirmation about on which platform the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match will be live streamed in India, however, you can follow the LIVE updates on Sportstar website and app. 

Where to watch the live telecast of the Argentina vs Ecuador Copa America 2024 quarterfinal match in the USA?

The match will be telecasted across the FOX networks in the USA - FOX, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and FOX Sports 2 (FS2).