FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored and added two assists in his first Copa America start this year to lead Argentina over Venezuela 4-1 on Saturday night and into a semifinal against the host United States.
Messi's goal in the 60th minute gave Argentina a 3-0 lead and was his 54th in international play, tying the national record set by Gabriel Batistuta, according to Argentina's governing body. The Barcelona star also took over the Copa America scoring lead with his fourth goal of the tournament.
Argentina now has two days to rest before playing the U.