Argentina vs. Chile: Score, Reaction from 2016 Copa America Final

Lionel Messi's national team misery continues. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was one of two Argentina players to miss in the penalty shootout as Chile successfully defended its Copa America title.

History nearly repeated itself as the Chileans prevailed, 4-2, on penalty kicks over Argentina on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey:  

Francisco Silva scored the pivotal penalty kick to bring Chile the Copa America Centenario title. Claudio Bravo's save on Lucas Biglia helped set the stage for Silva's heroics.

The Cauldron's Andy Glockner remarked that Sunday's defeat only compounded Argentina's bad luck in recent tournaments:

Messi had a chance to give Argentina an early 1-0 lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved Arturo Vidal's penalty. Instead, the Barcelona star's attempt skied well over the crossbar. Goal's Ives Galarcep thought the juxtaposition of Chile's elation and Messi's dejection after the shootout made for a compelling visual:

Messi couldn't hide his disappointment, per Vice Sports' Mike Tunison:

Beyond Messi and another missed opportunity for Argentina, much of the focus during the match was on referee Heber Lopes. The Brazilian was quick to brandish a card and failed to defuse a number of tense situations between the two teams. In total, Lopes issued seven yellow cards and two red cards:

Squawka Football noted the 43-year-old hasn't hesitated of late to send players back to the dressing room midway through a match:

Both Fox Sports' Stuart Holden and Yahoo Sports' Leander Schaerlaeckens thought Lopes was detracting from the match itself:

Harrisburg City Islanders midfielder Bobby Warshaw was particularly affected by the stakes of the final:

Argentina should've gone 1-0 up in the 21st minute after Gonzalo Higuain broke clean through on goal. A poor touch by Gary Medel allowed the Napoli striker a one-on-one opportunity with Bravo. Higuain sent his shot wide left of the post. Fox Soccer shared a replay of the miss:

Argentine supporters were likely having flashbacks to the 2014 World Cup final, when Higuain missed the target completely in a similar situation. Argentina went on to lose, 1-0, in extra time to Germany:

Howler Magazine assumed nobody was more upset than Messi:

Argentina received a boost with the first of two controversial send-offs in the opening 45 minutes. Lopes gave Marcelo Diaz a second yellow card for a foul on Messi. SB Nation Soccer shared the Celta Vigo midfielder's reaction as he stood near the exit to the dressing room:

Lopes balanced the scales when he sent off Marcos Rojo in the 43rd minute. Rojo's tackle on Vidal looked worse in real time, since Vidal's knee bent at an awkward angle. The Manchester United defender, however, made little contact with Vidal, so a red card was harsh.

The halftime break allowed emotions on both teams to simmer down. Lopes only issued three cards in the second half.

Chile spent most of the second half thwarting Argentina's attacking moves. MLSSoccer.com's Matthew Doyle showed the disparity in shots between the countries:

With fatigue becoming a factor, Argentina became more reliant on Messi the longer the match went on. Chile was far too organized defensively to let one player—even a star as talented as Messi—single-handedly take over the match.

A brief flurry capped off the second half. Jean Beausejour delivered a dangerous cross to Alexis Sanchez in the first minute of stoppage time, but the Arsenal attacker couldn't get a good touch on the ball before Argentina cleared the danger. Argentina then immediately went on the counter, with Messi bearing down on goal. His shot from about 20 yards out sailed well wide of the target.

The goalkeepers dug deep in the first half of extra time to ensure the match remained level. Romero made a sprawling save to catch Eduardo Vargas' header for the far post in the 98th minute. At the other end of the pitch in the 100th minute, Bravo somehow got a hand on Sergio Aguero's header that was dipping just under the crossbar.

Back Page Football shared a photo of Bravo's incredible save:

ESPN FC's James Tyler figured Bravo won't get a warm reception from Messi when he returns to Barcelona:

Between his save on Aguero and denial of Biglia in the shootout, Bravo was the man of the match for Chile. Argentina didn't have a lot of shots on target, but when it did, Bravo was there to make a save.

Winning Copa America Centenario is a major step forward for Chile. Many wondered how good it could be without former manager Jorge Sampaoli on the sideline. Although he didn't directly succeed Marcelo Bielsa, Sampaoli did a great job building on the philosophy Bielsa instilled in the team during his time as manager.

And now, Juan Antonio Pizzi has left his own stamp on Chile while still adhering to some tenets of the Sampaoli era.

Since the World Cup expanded to 24 and then 32 teams, Chile has never advanced past the round of 16. A lot can change between now and the 2018 edition, but La Roja have a great chance of reaching the quarterfinals in Russia in two years' time.

For Argentina, Sunday's loss will be more fuel for Messi's most vocal critics. One missed penalty doesn't erase what was an otherwise good Copa America for the 29-year-old, but that missed penalty will be the lasting image of him in this tournament.

Post-Match Reaction

Messi appears to have retired from international football altogether following the defeat.

"The national team is over for me," he said on Argentine television, as translated by Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl. "It's not for me after four finals. The decision is taken, I believe."

"I don't think he's thought about it properly," said Romero about Messi's decision, per Argentine football journalist Sam Kelly. "I don't imagine a national team without Messi."

"We really had high hopes," said Argentina coach Gerardo Martino of the result, per the Washington Post's Steven Goff. "And now we’re leaving empty-handed. We carry on with dignity."

Pizzi is already looking forward following the tournament: "I hope they will continue evolving and growing with the national team. As games go by and time goes by, this group has really been pushing the ceiling on its abilities and let's hope we continue."