The United States couldn't stop Lionel Messi from breaking the Argentine international goalscoring record for very long on Tuesday evening's Copa America Centenario semifinal match in Houston.
Messi curled a 32nd-minute free kick into the top-right corner of Brad Guzan's goal, putting La Albiceleste up 2-0 and marking the 55th goal he has scored for his country. Coming into the match, Messi was tied with Gabriel Batistuta's record of 54 goals for Argentina.
The free kick that resulted in Messi's record-breaking goal was set up by a Chris Wondolowski foul on Messi himself. Instead of trying to score over the USMNT's wall, the 28-year-old decided to whip the ball around the inside of the ball and find the top corner of the goal to his right.
Messi also assisted on Argentina's third-minute goal, lobbing in a ball to wide-open Ezequiel Lavezzi, who effortlessly beat a dazzled Guzan with a chipped header. At halftime, the men in sky blue led the United States by a score of 2-0.
While Messi is now in the Argentine soccer history books, he still has yet to cement himself as the country's best-ever, and that may come when or if he is able to claim his first international cup title. Should La Albiceleste hold on versus the Yanks, they will get their chance at revenge after losing to Chile in the Copa America 2015 Final. This year's final will be held next Sunday between the winner of this game and the winner of the Chile-Colombia match Wednesday in Chicago.