I think so. We lost to the #1 team in the world and the #3 team twice, with the last game being a woulda coulda shoulda.
Down goes Frazier! Chile defeats Argentina to win back-to-back Copa Americas when Messi misses his first penalty kick...ever! What a wild one! Both teams finished with ten men in a zero-zero tie and the truth is, the referee could have thrown out everybody! Anyone who got near a goal was clubbed down. It was an old-fashioned Pier 9 brawl. One-hundred years of nothing and now the Chilenos have won two in a row! Their fans were singing " We Are the Champions"......in English......as they paraded out...
That first half was like watching 22 hornets fighting. At several points, it seemed that both side would have been content to quit playing socccer and start brawling with the last man man standing winning the Copa for his team. The poor ref looked like a substitute teacher in high school trying to control a shop class filled with all of the students voted by their peers as "most likely to spend adult life in a maximum security prison". Really enjoyed watched Chile. Those guys fly around the field pressing on defensive and attacking in a fast fury when they have the ball. In contrast to Croatia-Portugal where both teams played a tenative, safety first game, Chile and Argentina provided an entertaining match.
La Roja! I do love the Copa America. As much as I enjoy the Euro tourney, it is a bit soft. There's a lot of good will and sportsmanship until the cut throat rounds begin and even then, teams seem afraid to stretch their legs out. In Copa, no one likes anyone else. South Americans hate each other and they believe that Mexico and America are in cahoots to take the thing over. America and Mexico REALLY hate each other, and honestly, that's the closest thing to an alliance in the whole tournament. I thought last night's game was more rugby scrum than football match, but it was still entertaining. I know this was all put together at the last minute because it was a special edition of the Copa, but I do hope the US made a good accounting for itself to host a World Cup soon. Also, Messi retired and I don't see him coming back until the entire AFA is fired.
I watched the entire match, and Bobda's account is on the mark. Some highlights or lowlights IMO: 1) every few minutes a player (mostly Chile) agonizingly writhing in pain until it was obvious the ref was not going to call a penalty, then up and back at 'em as if nothing had happened; 2) Messi constantly being grabbed and chopped by the 3-4 players surrounding him when in Chile's end of the field (and no calls); 3) outstanding athleticism by both goalies whenever pressed; 4) As Bobda said, outstanding defense by Chile; 5) as JO'Co said, an old-fashioned brawl. All in all, I saw a level of intensity throughout the match on both sides which shows why they are at the top of the soccer world, at least in the Americas. Our USA team's approach seems almost slow motion in comparison to what I saw last night. Those players had to be completely exhausted at the end.