Messi Critiques Copa America Pitch Conditions

Lionel Messi has joined the list of stars criticizing the pitch conditions in the current edition of the Copa America in the United States. After the victory over Chile with a score of 1-0 in the second round early Wednesday, Messi stated, "Sometimes the condition of the pitch forces us to rely on long and high balls, which makes things easier for our opponents." He added, "Deciding matches against South American teams in this competition imposes certain solutions." Messi pointed out that "the Chilean team retreated into their half, which was the scenario we anticipated and were waiting for." The Argentina national team has become the first to qualify for the quarter-finals after topping Group A with a perfect score from two wins against Canada and Chile.